


Matsumoto’s shop of hopes and dreams - enter on your own risk

by Lilly0



Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Fantasy, M/M, Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-09-15 18:08:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 33,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9249647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilly0/pseuds/Lilly0
Summary: When you have no other place to visit and lost all your hope, you'll go to a mysterious, little shop. Dealing with hopes and dreams and with his protector Ninomiya at his side, Jun keeps his real identity a secret, constantly on the run. No one knows who he is, what he runs from and where he comes from. One unfortunate day though a young doctor demands his services, asking for a piece of sunshine. It's the beginning of something... like the ticking sound of a clock you can't turn back...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> it sounds superduper-magic-and-fantasy-heavy. It really isn't that bad though. There are no vampires or alike. It's more like a fairytale meets our world meets romance meets Nino in a tight gothic-like outfit

“One bag with sunshine, please.”  Sho bows slightly, eyes carefully looking into the two dark orbs staring at him intensely now.

“What do you need it for?” the man asks, his tone tinged with impatience, his prominent eyebrows furrowed slightly while he looks at Sho intently. He is leaning forward a bit, like he wants to scan every piece of Sho. He is apparently looking into his soul, at least Sho has heard this strange man does it. _Matsumoto’s shop of hopes and dreams – make your dreams come true – enter on your own risk_ is a tiny shop – with a ridiculously long title – led by that one man called Matsumoto. He is taking orders for what people can’t buy in normal shops. Before placing his order Sho had to read the contract first, an unsettling feeling spreading inside him with every line he read.

_Dear customer,_  
_we are dealing with hopes and dreams, specific deliveries and particular demands. We promise you, with this contract, to attend to your wish, no matter what it takes for us to fulfil it. You however, customer looking for hope and dreams, have to abide by the following rules:_

  

  1. _No orders for ruining someone else, may it be financially, physically or psychically._
  

  2. _No orders to use for killing_
  

  3. _No orders for healing sickness_
  

  4. _No orders for making someone ill._
  

  5. _No immensely selfish requests such as piling money. If you want to win in lottery, buy a lottery ticket._
  

  6. _No orders that will help you commit a crime._
  

  7. _You will always tell us what your order will be used for. We do not respect such things as privacy or data protection._
  

  8. _Usage of your order is at your own risk._
  

  9. _You won’t, by no means, share any details about this shop, the owner or how he made your wish come true._
  

  10. _Specific orders will have specific rules to them. Read the contract concerning your specific order carefully._
  

  11. _We take the liberty to refuse your order in case we don’t see its necessity and it doesn’t fit our ideals._
  

  

  * _With signing up, you agree to our rules. In case you fail to follow them, you – with your signature – officially allow us to punish you as we see fit, and make the fate you put on someone else return to you._
  



 

“We have a child in hospital whose condition got worse,” Sho explains nervously, not sure why he can’t lie to that man. The contract probably scares him, especially the last part, although he doesn’t believe in anything he reads here or heard about this shop. Yes, he knows there is magic and stuff like that, but this shop takes it a bit too far for his liking. However, it is true that no one told him any details about this place here, so apparently that guy is dangerous enough for people to follow the contract. And to be honest, believe it or not, Sho doesn’t want to take a risk. He doesn’t believe someone will be able to give him sunshine, true, but his little patient in hospital probably won’t make it long, and he wants her to at least smile one last time. Hence he goes for every single option no matter how silly it sounds. Like this shop here. As if anyone would be able to make the sun shine. “We organised a party for her so that she will be a little bit happier again. It’s supposed to rain at weekend and-“

“Hm.” The man interrupts him, and nods. “Fine. How much sunshine do you need?”

“Sorry?” Sho blinks.

The man lets out a frustrated sigh. “In case you order meat or cheese in a supermarket you’ll also tell them the amount you want, don’t you?”

Sho blushes. How dare this guy talk to him like he is an idiot! Of course he knows that. “Well, I’m sorry,” he says, not able to hide the prissy tone in his voice, frowning when the guy grins slightly. “But I don’t know how to measure sunshine.”

“For how long do you need it?” the guy asks instead of reacting to his hidden complaint.

“Sunday, for the whole afternoon. Starting at 2PM up to 7PM, maybe 8 PM if possible.”

“Are you outside in a garden, park, sea?”

“At a lake,” Sho stutters. “Right next to the children’s hospital.”

“So, it has to be enough sunshine to handle the wind too,” the guy muses, taking notes.  “How many people? Anyone else of them suffering from a severe condition? I need as many details as possible.”

“Yes, six children, two of them suffering from a serious sickness, four of them gladly recovering. Their condition is still weak,” Sho mumbles, a little flabbergasted. “Plus me, two other doctors – one male, one female. Three nurses – one male nurse within them. Then our voluntary helper at hospital, a young friendly healthy guy. That’s it.”

The guy nods. “Fine, that’s not as much as I feared it would be. We won’t need that much sunshine then. I think three bottles will be enough.” He roams a bit in his drawer, then he puts a sheet of paper in front of Sho, next to the other other contract. “This is your specific contract for sunshine. Read it carefully.”

Sho does, eyes flying over the paper, until he halts at one specific part. _With obtaining sunshine you accept that sunshine will be taken from someone else in exchange for the weather you would have had. We can’t regulate who will be missing it, and how important it was for that person. You accept that this person sunshine was taken from might suffer from the loss of it._ “What does that mean?” Sho asks carefully.

The guy rolls his eyes like he asked the most stupid question ever. Arrogant prick. “It means that we don’t make sunshine just like that,” he explains impatiently. “We take it from a place that has sunshine of course. We are not a manufactory. No one can produce such a thing as sunshine.”

“It’s a huge responsibility,” Sho mumbles, looking at the sheet of paper. “It means someone else will suffer from a wish I have. May they forgive me.”

The guy’s eyes soften up all of a sudden, much to Sho’s surprise. “Sunshine is not that specific as a wish,” he explains, his face a lot friendlier and warmer all of a sudden. “It’s not that likely that it will do any harm to someone else.”

“But there is the option?”

“Yes,” he says earnestly. “There always is.”

Sho sighs, something inside him clenching tightly. He almost wishes that this weird shop is just a silly gimmick or some sort of sick game. “If this really works,” he mumbles. “I hope I’ll never need your services again.”

The guy’s lips tug but Sho isn’t all that sure if he smiles or looks sad. “You say that now,” he says quietly. “But everyone always returns.”

Something inside Sho’s chest clenches. He doesn’t know what to say, but the other man apparently decides their talk is over anyway. He waits for Sho to sign the contract and takes it away from him. He also takes the partial payment from him, noting it in his little book. “Please prepare the rest of the money until Sunday, cash,” he says almost a little cold. “I’ll bring you the sunshine half an hour before your party starts. 1:30 PM.”

“But how will I know that it works?” Sho stutters. “And how do you I know how to handle it and that you really come and-“

“You just be careful to fulfil your part of the contract,” the guy says firmly. “I’ll make sure to fulfil mine. Now, if you’d leave, please. I have work to do.”

Unfriendly idiot. Sho holds back a huff and a sharp answer as he leaves the shop. Well, at least he didn’t take all the money yet, so he assumes that Matsumoto guy has something up his pocket. He turns around a little, seeing how Matsumoto hovers over the book in front of him, forehead furrowed in concentration. He looks a bit tired but the way he looks into the folders and books in front of him is serious. He doesn’t look like a fraud. And unfriendly or not, he is really pretty.

 

~~~

 

Jun is wearing his tightest black clothes to emerge with the darkness of the night, glasses covering his face, while he approaches the man leaning against the balustrade in the park. He is covered in a broad jacket and jeans that are way too big. “Kazunari.”

“Finally,” Nino mumbles. “I’ve been waiting for hours.”

“Five minutes. I’m late five minutes,” Jun huffs. “Don’t be overdramatic.”

Nino chuckles. “I am not the one being overdramatic, princess,” he mocks Jun, ignoring the glare Jun sends him for this stupid nickname he always says when Jun is being particularly oversensitive. “It was a joke, chill. Man…” He reaches into his pocket. “Here is the part you needed. Three bottles out of crystal powder, and an additional one just in case, all of them were fumigated and they come with a lid out of dragon skin. There is a dragon suppliers’ strike at the moment though. Good thing I have my connections…”

Jun nods, and takes the four items into his hand carefully. He leans to the side a bit, waiting for Nino to open his jacket to cover him up. Then he searches for something in his bag, taking four dark, soft and dim balls out of it.

“Are these the rainy clouds?” Nino whispers. “Are you exchanging them already?”

“Sh,” Jun huffs. “No, right now they are only balls out of nothing. I’ll fill them with the rain of tomorrow now and exchange them with the sun from a place that will have sunshine.” He closes his eyes, concentrating on the task before him. For a while he feels like he is floating, somewhere far away from this land, above the earth. There is no ground, no time and no border for him. He focuses deeply for a moment when he reaches the wanted destination. Tomorrow, Wakkanai, children hospital. It’s raining heavily. Jun frowns, carefully reaching out his hands to take a piece of the sky in front of him. It feels cold and wet on his fingers.

Then he is back in reality, the four fluffy balls in his hands filled with dark clouds, little thunders appearing on them. The weather is indeed bad tomorrow. But in a certain place in Wakkanai it will be surprisingly nice weather. Well, such things happen, don’t they?

He closes his eyes again, this time he isn’t concentrating on a place or a time, but rather on himself. Tries to feel the coldness of the clouds, the intensity of the rain and the unsettling feeling the thunder gives him. When he feels it all, he bottles the feeling up inside himself, gathering it all until his body shivers, feeling cold and restless. The rest of the process goes fast. He closes his eyes again, floating to a place with warm weather. He has no real control over where he goes. It’s just the same time as tomorrow, a place where there is sunshine at the same time when the hospital party of tomorrow will take place. He has no time to choose a specific place though, the feeling of tension and gloom and darkness too strong inside him. So when he finds a sunny place, he reaches out his hands, opens the fluffy balls and lets the darkness escape. When he closes them again, there is shiny, sparkling sun inside them.

Jun coughs. “Finished,” he says in a hoarse voice while he lets the sunshine slide into the four bottles. They will remain there safely until tomorrow.

Nino frowns deeply while he watches him. "Jun," he says surprisingly earnest. “How many jobs did you do this week?” When Jun stays quiet, Nino grabs his arm. "Jun?" he says warningly.

“Too many probably,” Jun admits.

“Are you stupid? It will eat you up when you fulfill too many wishes. You are low on energy already, aren’t you? And you are freaking skinny. How much weight did you lose during the last week?” Nino grabs his arm again, his warm fingers wrapped around Jun's wrist now. “And you are ice-cold! Are you really shivering already? Fuck it, J, you should have called me earlier!”

“You have a life too,” Jun says calmly. “I can’t always bother you.”

“Shut up,” Nino huffs, grabs him by his collar and smashes their lips together. For a moment Jun feels nothing, just the coldness he is carrying inside him, and the gloomy, depressing feelings that come from fulfilling his clients’ wishes. He needs to give a part of himself, of his own warmth and of his own health and good feelings to do what his clients pay him for. It’s his part of the contract. _No matter what it takes…_

The coldness goes away, and Jun smiles against Nino’s lips when he feels how Nino’s life energy fills him up too. “Don’t overdo it, Kazu,” he says softly.

Nino chuckles. “I’m not running out of energy that easily.” His friend grins. “I’m just organising the supplies, not doing the real deal such as you.” He leans forward again, kissing Jun once more, and this time Jun can finally enjoy the kiss of his closest and most important friend.

He smiles. “Thank you,” he says sincerely. “Thank you.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aiba's first appearance. Will Matsumoto really make the sun shine? And what is everyone's issue with Ohno?

“He won’t come, I know he won’t. Man, we should have re-scheduled that party and made it indoor.” Sho looks up at the sky above him. It’s raining like crazy. “Like someone can actually change the weather.”

Aiba helps him place a few huge umbrellas outside. “Sho-chan, it was worth a try, and we can always go back into the hospital’s gym and have our party there. I’ve prepared an alternative program.”

“You have?”

Aiba chuckles. “Yes.”

“Bless you,” Sho sighs out in relief. “So, let’s move our stuff inside and-“

“Don’t you want to wait a little longer?” Aiba asks in surprise. You said the owner of this shop will come at 1:30. It’s only a few minutes late. Who is that guy anyway?”

“Can’t tell you anything, I’m sorry.” Sho mumbles. In case that jerk of an owner won’t come, he will definitely expose him though and tell all the things he wants to hide. “Let’s just forget it,” he huffs impatiently when the sky gets lit up by a blizzard. “It’s really not worth the work to prepare everything in the rain and-“

“Just a moment please,” a voice interrupts him. Sho blinks in surprise, looking up. It’s the owner of that ominous shop, dressed in Capri pants and a beach-tank top. He is wearing sun glasses. Does this idiot believe by dressing like that the sun will appear?

The guy grins though. “Your resent is too obvious in your face, Sakurai-sensei.” He chuckles. “I’m dressing like this because it will be hot soon.”

To Sho’s surprise Matsumoto seems to be like a different man from the day he went to his shop last week. He was irritated, annoyed and impatient back then, now however he seems almost relaxed. Also there is some colour in his face, not like last week. It’s only now that Sho realizes how pale he actually was.

“Are you ready?” Jun asks, and smiles softly. His smile makes his face glow in a fascinating, beautiful way, and something inside Sho’s stomach jumps a little. What is with this guy?

“Ready, steady go,” Aiba beams, eyes gleaming in interest. “I don’t believe it at all that someone can make the sun shine, but I’m still curious.”

“Everyone says that the first time,” Matsumoto chuckles. “Listen, Sakurai-sensei, I’ll need to stay here for a while. Don’t worry, I won’t disturb anyone, I’ll be waiting at a far-away corner so that you can celebrate peacefully. But I need to regulate the sunshine for a while so that I’m sure everything goes according to the plan.”

“Of course,” Sho stutters, taken aback by Matsumoto’s friendly approach. “You don’t need to hide though. You can just join us, Matsumoto-san.”

“Ah.” Matsumoto makes a dismissive gesture with his hands. “Call me Jun. I’m used to being called by my first name anyways. In my world it’s usual not to be called by your surnames.” In his world? Sho is about to ask what he means, but Jun just chuckles. “I need to ask you to show me the money beforehand though, so that I’m sure you fulfilled your side of the deal.” Sho nods, and opens the envelope for the other to see what’s inside. Jun nods. “Alright. Can we start now?”

“Please.” Sho mumbles, exchanging an awkward glance with Aiba. Matsumoto, or rather Jun, is obviously confident, but still… how will he make the sun shine, and…

Sho isn’t sure what the items in Jun’s hands are, it seems like a bottle, with beautiful ornaments, glittering slightly, and inside there is a small ball that’s radiating in a dazzling yellow. Jun opens it, and for a moment nothing happens. Sho is almost inclined to laugh and make a teasing comment, and demand his money back, when the thunderstorm subsides all of a sudden. Sho frowns deeply. Is it just a coincidence or…

“It’s going to need a few minutes,” Jun explains quietly. “Otherwise it would be too suspicious. It looks more natural like this. First the thunderstorm will pass, the rain will stop and then the clouds will disappear.”

Aiba is sitting at one of the wet benches, obviously not caring that his clothes are getting wet like this and that it’s too cold to run around all wet on such a cold day. He just stares up at the sky, a look of amazement and horror in his eyes. Soon Sho joins him, because that damn Matsumoto Jun was right. The thunderstorm stops, the rain subsides, and with every passing minute the clouds disappear more and more, until the first ray of sun sparkles down on them. Sho throws a glance of shock at Jun who just chuckles. “It’s going to be hot,” he grins. “I’ve checked on the bottle yesterday after I obtained it, and there is some Sahara air in it. You might want to change your clothes.”

Sho is about to say something when one of the children suddenly runs outside, she pushes a wheelchair with another girl along.

“Is that her?” Jun wants to know. He looks stressed all of a sudden.

“Yes, that’s little Miki-chan in the wheelchair and her friend Mayu. Mayu is recovering well, gladly. But Miki…” Sho pauses, feeling how his heart clenches. “I know it shouldn’t affect me that much, I’m sorry. I’m her doctor, I should be used to cases like this, but…”

“You are human,” Jun says softly. “Be glad that you have a heart that beats and conscience that makes you sleep… or keeps you awake. It’s a wonderful thing.”

“Do you want to talk to her?” Sho asks mainly to hide his surprise by Jun’s kind words.

“No,” Jun says, sounding appalled all of a sudden. “By no means introduce me!”

“Why not?” Aiba asks in surprise. “She is a nice little girl, you don’t need to be afraid that she will be cheeky or annoying or-“

“That’s not it,” Jun huffs. “But… Sakurai-sensei, you remember the contract, don’t you?” When Sho nods, he continues. “The part about changing fates with someone else? And how it’s forbidden to wish to cure sickness?” Again Sho nods, now frowning slightly though. “If I meet such a sweet and pitiful girl, I might be seduced into doing something stupid,” Jun whispers in a low voice. “I would want to help of course, no ill intentions behind it. I might want to heal her, but by healing her, I would need to put her fate on someone else. And I can’t decide on whom. That’s the price of it. Another innocent person might die then, maybe another child, a baby, or a young adult who has his life before him just like little Miki. Or a grandmother. Do you understand? Who decides about life and death? I don’t want to do that. Would you? Play god and kill someone for the sake of saving someone? Is this person less worth just because you don’t know her or him?”

Sho’s mouth is opened in shock. “Jun-san,” he mumbles, not sure what he should say now. It’s a lot of information to take, and part of him wonders if it was actually the right decision to visit this shop and to run a deal with its mysterious owner. A person talking about fate, and says words like his world. He doesn’t have the time to continue his sentence though because Miki and Mayu reach them. “Sensei, a miracle,” Miki says in her quiet voice. “The sun!”

“Particularly for you, Miki-chan.” Sho twinkles. “I bet the sun wanted to see you as much as you wanted to see her.”

Miki smiles brightly before her gaze falls on Jun. She coughs. “Who is that?” she asks curiously.

“Ah, just a friend from my family,” Sho hears himself lie. Jun’s words are still ringing in his ears. He can’t. He doesn’t know what Jun is talking about, he knows there is more to this world than meets the eye, there is magic and stuff like that, but a different world? Still… no matter if he understands what Jun is talking about or not, Jun is right, he can’t kill someone off to help someone else. He just can’t. He is not a god. “Why don’t you girls help, Masaki-chan a little?” he offers. “He is still preparing the balloons.”

“Yes!” Mayu exclaims. “Let’s help!”

Sho watches the girls attending to Aiba and giggling around him. Something in his chest hurts so badly right now that he feels like fainting. Jun touches his shoulder affectionately. “You would have felt worse if you killed someone else,” he tells him softly. “Believe me. I’ve almost gone a similar way once. Just like most of us who have my ability did. You will never be able to live without guilt. It would haunt you every day, and ruin you and the relationships you have. You wouldn’t even be able to look at Miki-chan properly because of the knowledge that you did something so horrible.”

 

The party is a huge success. Jun was right, the weather is so warm that they are all running around in shorts and dresses, and Aiba can even prepare his barbecue and cook meat and all kind of fancy stuff for the little ones. On top of that the sea is warm enough now for some of the bolder and healthier kids to take a bath. Even Miki holds her feet into the water.

Jun has been here, but not here at the same time. Sometimes Sho sees him out of the corner of his eyes, but apparently he found his perfect strategy over the time to remain invisible to whoever doesn’t pay too much attention. To Sho’s surprise though Jun seems to look more and more tired the longer the afternoon goes.

He takes a plate and puts some teriyaki on it and some vegetables before he walks towards Jun. “Here,” he says and hands him the plate. “You look pale all of a sudden. I assume you haven’t eaten anything today?”

Jun smiles carefully. “Thank you. That’s nice of you. But my tiredness won’t go away from food, Sakurai-sensei.”

“Just call me Sho, please. After all you want me to call you Jun-san too.” Sho intervenes, and looks at Jun intensely. To his surprise although he has distinctive and strong features, he has soft eyes and a warm smile. Something inside Sho’s stomach jumps slightly. Again. Fucking hormones. “So, where does your tiredness come from? Iron deficiency? Low on blood pressure? I could make a check-up on you, if you want me to. I’m a children’s doctor, but it doesn’t mean I can’t work with grown-ups.”

Jun chuckles. “Thank you, but it’s nothing alike the things you mentioned,” he says. “I haven’t been sleeping well recently.”

Sho is working with kids, he knows when someone tells him a lie, especially when it’s about health issues. He frowns slightly now, checking Jun from head to toe. “Then how do your issues go away?”

“Not with medicine,” Jun admits, and to Sho’s surprise he blushes slightly. “But you don’t need to worry about it, Sho-san. I have some suppliers to heal me.”

Sho frowns deeply immediately. “You don’t do drugs, aren’t you? Because if you are, I-“

“Stop it,” Jun laughs. “Before you embarrass yourself. No, I don’t do drugs. But don’t you think that a person retrieving sunshine for you, might also be in need of specific treatments?”

Sho lets out a sigh. “Yes,” he says. “Though as a doctor I would really like to know what kind of weird treatment it is.”

“You don’t,” Jun smiles in an almost pained way. “Believe me there are lots of things connected to my work and to who I am you don’t want to know. You don’t want to know how I fulfil these orders, or what it does to me, or the consequences I face. You don’t want to know what it might do to others that miss your sunshine now. And you don’t want to know what cheap things I have to do to get back my life energy. And you know what?” His gaze softens. “It’s okay. Ignorance is the one of the biggest advantages a Human has, and it’s alright. Seeing the children smile is worth every discomfort I might have gone through. Besides-“ he twinkles. “We had a deal. You paid, you are following the contract. So do I.”

Around 4PM Jun decides that the weather is remaining steady. He tells Sho to immediately call him in case something unfortunate happens. Then he leaves, looking more tired than before. Sho watches how his figure becomes smaller and smaller the further he walks away. He didn’t come by car or by bike, it seems, but by foot, and to his surprise Sho feels a little worried about Jun, and his tired face, and the bags beneath his eyes.

 

~~~

“You have been there the whole afternoon, haven’t you?” Nino sits behind Jun, clasping his shoulders. Jun has just dropped by at his place, and Nino knew immediately that he has overstrained his energy again. “You should have left earlier, J,” he continues his scolding.

“I’m alright,” Jun mumbles tiredly. “I just needed a place to safely rest.”

“Well,” Nino kisses the top of his head, as always feeling responsible for Jun’s health. He is like a little brother to him, he needs to watch out for him properly. Not because he is useful, but because Nino deeply cares for him. And in their world he is the only one not treating Jun like a possession. “You are always welcome here.” He checks on Jun’s face carefully. “You are easily getting pale recently, J. Faster than usual. You are low on energy in general, aren’t you?”

Jun shrugs. “Seems like it.”

“Since the last time you went to the palace, right? For your annual duty-visit?” Nino continues, trying to fit the puzzle pieces together. “They are responsible for it, aren’t they?” he suddenly huffs. “Oh my god, Jun, why didn’t you tell me? What did the High Castle punish you for?”

“Nothing,” Jun says tiredly.

“Nothing? And why did they limit your life energy further?” Nino huffs.

For a while Jun stays quiet, until Nino shakes his shoulders. He is tired, which is probably why he gives in faster than usual. “They want me to come home. And to quit my shop here, leave this world.”

Nino sighs. The same old story, he should have known it. “Jun,” he says softly. “Why don’t you ask Ohno-san to provide you with more energy?” he asks carefully. “He might do it, if you ask him directly and if you visit him and ask for it. You-“

“No,” Jun shouts out. He is up his feet immediately, shaking off Nino’s hands. “I’ll never ask him. Not even when I’m at the blink of dying I will ask him.” With that he stomps off into Nino’s living room. To Nino’s relief he is too weak to run away for real. The last time he brought up Ohno’s name, he actually did run, and Nino wasn’t able to find or contact him for a freaking week.

“Don’t be mad at me, J,” he begs as he follows him. “I’m just worried. Really. I want you to finally have peace with Ohno-san. I don’t mean to push you or anything. You know, I hate them just as much as you do.”

Jun shakes his head, lips pressed against each other tightly. “Fine, but don’t bring up his name ever again. Ever.”

“I’m not sure if I can promise you something like that,” Nino admits honestly. “But I can try.” He shows Jun a soothing smile, when Jun glares at him. “Always so stubborn,” he smirks. “Well, if they are using sly and pathetic tricks to stop you from living your own life, we can do the same, right?”

“What do you mean?” Jun wants to know in surprise.

“I mean that they won’t ever go so far to kill me and make me stop helping you.” Nino slips closer, smirking teasingly. His fingers slip underneath Jun’s shirt. “It’s a pleasure for me to serve my personal proud princess,” he jokes, grinning when Jun blushes slightly at his teasing.

“Do you have to call me like that!?”

“What?” Nino grins. “You are stubborn and proud like a princess after all. And so high maintenance. It’s a good nickname.” Before Jun can complain, he hugs him tightly, his lips roaming over his neck. “Let me give you back as much energy as I can give you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aiba made his first appearance! And I promise he will be a cool character. Nino's character will come more forward with next chapter ;-) Oh, and we had a mention of Ohno, though that didn't go too well did it? (he will also have a proper appearance soon!)  
> Sorry for the random name-dropping, like High Castle for example. But it will be explained later on. For now we know that Jun is... getting punished (?) for something (?). And that he doesn't want to go home or can't? (It's probably too early to ask you what you think)  
> I hope you'll like the suspense side of this story <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sho and Aiba visit Jun, and meet a not too happy Nino. Nino decides to visit Ohno...

When Sho and Aiba open the door to Jun’s shop, the latter looks up from his book in obvious surprise. His surprise seems to grow when Sho waves the basket in his hands and Jun sees that he is bringing something along. Much to Sho’s amusement he has obviously taken this seemingly arrogant but apparently not so bad guy by surprise.  
  
“We just closed,” Jun stutters, turning to face a small and pretty guy, dark-haired, looking fragile, but with a pair of intense eyes. The fragile guy frowns when he sees them, scanning them from head to toe.  
  
“Who are they?” the fragile, black-haired guy asks in a hostile way.  
  
“Sakurai-sensei is a former customer,” Jun tells him.  
  
“Ah, the guy with the sunshine,” the watchdog concludes. “What does he want here?”  
  
“You know.” Aiba giggles. “You can also as us directly. We are standing here right next to you, no need to pretend we aren’t here.”  
  
“And who’s that?”  
  
“His friend and an honorary helper at hospital,” Jun explains patiently. Sho is surprised, he has thought that Jun is someone who gets easily irritated, but apparently this other guy can do and say whatever he wants to.  
  
“Fine,” the guy huffs. “You might talk to Jun-kun. But be fast. One wrong word and I’m banning you guys from this place, so that you’ll never be able to return.”  
  
Jun puts a hand on the guy’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Kazunari. I don’t think they have ill intentions.”  
  
“With nowadays happenings we don’t know,” the guy mumbles. Nevertheless he nods at them with a mock-generous gesture. “I’m Ninomiya.”  
  
“Kazunari?” Aiba asks in interest.  
  
“No, for you guys, Ninomiya.”  
  
“Who are you actually? His watchdog?”  
  
“Pretty close for two petty humans,” Ninomiya answers coldly.  
  
Aiba grins, much to Sho’s chagrin. It’s so like that kind-hearted guy to immediately feel attracted to a sassy and bratty idiot like this Ninomiya-person.  
  
“So,” Jun asks, obviously trying to deescalate the situation by using a friendly tone. “How can I help you?”  
  
“You were looking pretty tired and weak last Sunday,” Sho tells him straight-forwardly. “As a doctor I couldn’t just look away. Are you eating properly?”  
  
“Yes,” Jun says immediately.  
  
“No,” Ninomiya says in unison with him. When Jun throws him a glare, he shrugs. “Jun isn’t eating enough. He says he doesn’t have any time.”  
  
“Great.” Sho chuckles. “I mean, it’s not good that you don’t eat enough of course. But I brought something to eat along. At the hospital we have a private cook. She provides us with healthy, well-balanced nutrition. So we thought we could offer you some.”  
  
Something inside Ninomiya’s eyes softens up, much to Sho’s surprise. He nods. “That’s a good thought. We can go to my place and have dinner there.”  
  
“Mine is closer,” Jun interrupts him in a quiet voice. “But it’s not necessary, Kazu, I-“  
  
“Well, I deem it necessary,” Ninomiya interrupts him boldly. “That’s our deal, remember? You’ll try to stay as healthy as possibly. And I try to keep _them_ away.”  
  
Jun grumbles something incoherently, looking really annoyed all of a sudden, but Ninomiya doesn’t seem to be even slightly taken aback by it. “We’ll show you the way to Jun’s place,” he says, grabbing Jun’s arm to tug him alone. “Just follow us.”  
  
Sho exchanges a glance with Aiba, who just shrugs and giggles slightly. “They are weird but kind of fun,” he whispers. “I don’t think they are bad people.”  
  
“You say that about just everyone,” Sho mumbles back. “You would even think that a robber is a kind person deep inside.”  
  
“Hey,” Jun huffs in front of them. “We can hear you.”  
  
“Oh,” Sho smiles sweetly. “That’s okay.”  
  
Jun’s eyes widen in surprise at his sarcastic retort, then he lets out a theatrical sigh. “We won’t abduct you. We just want your food, so chill.”  
  
“He really is hot,” Aiba muses quietly. “And he has a nice butt-“  
  
“Hey, you!” Ninomiya turns around with a huff. “Don’t talk low of him, you… What’s your name anyway?”  
  
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Aiba chirps and reaches out his hand to shake Ninomiya’s. The latter looks so flabbergasted that even Jun grins. “My name is Aiba Masaki. It’s a pleasure to meet you. And besides-“ he takes the bag in his hands again. “Complimenting someone’s butt is by no means talking low about someone. It’s a compliment.”  
  
Jun tilts his head, scanning them for a while. “Really?”  
  
Sho shrugs. “Well, a blunt compliment. Depends on who says it. But in Aiba-kun’s case it’s a compliment.”  
  
“Well,” Jun blushes slightly. “Thank you,” he stutters to Sho’s surprise.  
  
Ninomiya shakes his head. “Humans,” he mumbles.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Jun’s apartment turns out to be a huge roof-top apartment, right at the top floor of an apartment building. Walls of glass surround it, like Jun always wants to be able to look outside. All in all it’s fancy and beautiful. Does he earn that much money?  
  
To be honest Sho is nervous that he promised too much and that they will hate the food instead of appreciating it. But to his relief Ninomiya sighs happily, and Jun nods in approval when they have the perfect five course menu and a glass of wine. His cheeks get slightly red again.  
  
To Sho’s surprise this Ninomiya guy loses his hostile attitude too, at least partly. He still shoots teasing comments and glares at them, but at least offers them to call him Nino. “Someone who can make the little proud princess look so lively and well again, can’t be a bad person,” he says when Jun is in the bathroom. “Doesn’t mean I like you though.”  
  
“Why are you calling him like that?” Sho laughs.  
  
Nino grins. “Well, he is stubborn and proud like a princess.” He chuckles. “Just teasing him. He forgets to linger on troubling thoughts when he gets mad or annoyed at me.”  
  
“Are you a couple?” Aiba asks in interest.  
  
“No,” Nino laughs. “Just really good friends.” He points his finger at them warningly, eyes dead-serious all of a sudden. A watchdog indeed. “But guys, one wrong move from you, and I’ll kill you and serve your remains to a dragon.”  
  
“You are like his older brother,” Aiba chuckles, and by the way Nino blushes he probably isn’t too far from the truth. Before he can dig deeper though and get himself into problems with that Nino-guy, Sho decides to intervene.  
  
“Listen, Nino-san, I’m a doctor. When Jun-san brought sunshine for me, I couldn’t help but notice his weak state of health. As a doctor I just couldn’t let it go. I’m not here to lure him into bed. I highly doubt he would even be interested to be honest, but it’s my profession to care.”  
  
Nino lets out a deep sigh. “Your kind is the worst,” he sighs but also shows them a careful smile. “Fine, do as you please and provide him with food and your medical advice. But the moment you plan anything sly, I-“  
  
“Yes,” Sho interrupts him with a sigh. “We still remember the part with the killing and dragon.”  
  
“Don’t think I mean it as a joke,” Nino tells them straight-forwardly, voice vibrating warningly. “Don’t ever believe I’m joking about these things. I’m his only friend and we are like brothers, I won’t allow anyone to hurt him. Don’t question how far I would go for that.”  
  
  
~~~  
  
What Nino told these two guys was deadly serious. He knows they believe him by the way Sho winced slightly at his words. Just this Aiba guy seems to be really weird, he kept being really amused and nice towards him. Well, humans are idiots, nothing new about that.  
  
He has left Jun sleeping once it was night and decided to go to a place or rather a person he should have gone to long ago already. The closer he gets to the enormous and beautiful house close to the cliffs, the angrier he gets though. The piece of shit Jun gets dragged in by higher ups of their world all the time annoys him to no end. How dare they? How fucking dare they? Just because he is a valuable source, a rare collector. He is still his own person, and he has still basic rights to at least try and do something on his own without being blackmailed, pressured and threatened.  
  
It’s in the middle of the night, but it’s a warm one, and an unusual light one. The moon shines to its fullest and the cliff is lit up almost like it’s during the day. The person he looks for is someone whose power gets fully unfolded on nights like this, as he is regulating the moon and stars. It’s a place at the border between the worlds – between their world and the humans’.  
  
Nino isn’t a guy who is shy or nervous normally, but he always is when he meets _him_. This time though it helps that he is freaking angry, otherwise he would have been a lot more nervous than he is. Now however he is freaking pissed, and just directly approaches the person dressed in a white collarless shirt and equally white trousers, sitting at the bench out of stone in the middle of the luxurious garden. His eyes are attached to the sky above him, a soft expression on his face. Unfortunately that ass only looks soft when he looks up at the firmament.  
  
Nino walks right in front of the guy. The normally so sleepy eyes are getting filled with a tinge of surprise and interest as Nino appears right in front of them. He looks almost shocked, much to Nino’s joy. “Ninomiya.”  
  
“Ohno-sama,” Nino says casually without bowing or applying to any normally so necessary rules that would normally be required when talking to someone with such unique powers such as Ohno. Ohno looks at him carefully, checking him and his surroundings. Without saying anything, Nino knows what he is actually looking for. “He didn’t accompany me. In fact he doesn’t even know I am here. And even if he did, he would never come.”  
  
“Always so stubborn,” Ohno grumbles. “He is always so difficult and proud.”  
  
“Really?” Nino’s voice is dripping with sarcasm. “Must be someone else you want to meet then. Because the person I know is actually a kind-hearted and helpful guy, not a difficult prick.”  
  
Ohno’s eyes snap open and his attention is completely away from the sky now. “I didn’t call him like that, Ninomiya. I know he is kind!” He takes a deep breath. “But he is stubborn and proud. Why don’t you do your duty for once and make him see what’s necessary.”  
  
“What’s necessary?” Nino huffs. “You mean, returning to the High Castle and being locked up there as a puppy for the successors of the throne?”  
  
Ohno sighs. “He won’t be locked up there.”  
  
“Yeah, right,” Nino sneers. “That’s why the High Castle happily makes his life hell, because he is _free_. Please, not even you can be so dumb to believe that!”  
  
“Hey!” Ohno huffs, voice vibrating slightly as he is obviously holding back his anger. “Just because we are childhood friends I won’t let you talk to me as you please!”  
  
“Childhood friends? Funny that you say that because the guy I used to know is long gone,” Nino answers, not able to hide the bitter tone in his voice.  
  
Ohno looks at him intensely. “He is still there.”  
  
“Where?” Nino asks daringly. “Because the person I am talking to right now has nothing to do with the kind-hearted boy I used to build castles out of sand with and dreamed about saving the world.”  
  
“We can’t stay kids forever, Ninomiya,” Ohno says firmly.  
  
“No, Ohno- _sama,_ obviously we can’t,” Nino agrees. He hates coming here, and this is exactly the reason for it. He hates seeing Ohno and being reminded of the times and adventures and beautiful moments they shared. The times they were actually close, and the very few moments he even used to lie in Ohno’s arms once they grew into teens. “But the way we changed, as unfortunate as it is, isn’t the reason I am here.”  
  
“You are here because of him?” Ohno frowns. “Then you are wasting your time.”  
  
“I know you would say that,” Nino says bitterly. “I thought there might still be a hint of a remaining fairness and kindness in you, a hint of the person I once knew.”  
  
“It has nothing to do with me,” Ohno says with a glare. “He is the one who is the problem! He is the one who is always defying them,” Ohno huffs. “He should finally obey to their orders.”  
  
“Obey?” Nino mimics his voice. “He is not a pet, damn it. He is a person with his own needs and wishes. How about you treat him as one for once! No wonder he hates the High Castle, and you. Doesn’t it even concern you the slightest that he is scared of you?”  
  
Ohno winces, looking pained at Nino’s words for a moment, but regathers his composure immediately. “Hey!” His voice sounds dangerous all of a sudden. He has a calm attitude and a long-lasting patience, but when touching a sore topic he turns into a dangerous being immediately. Just like the moon. Ohno Satoshi, watchman of the stars. “Don’t talk to me like that, Ninomiya. You are in no position to look down on me. Jun should start following orders for once, and not do as he pleases. It’s better and safer for him that way.”  
  
“No,” Nino says coldly. “It’s better and saver for you. An easy life with a pet.”  
  
“YOU!” Ohno huffs, and then Nino can feel his palm cracking across his cheek. He slaps him hard. It hurts, but Nino doesn’t quite grasp it. What hurts more is the knowledge that every time he leaves this place he knows he might never return to it again. Nino knows there was a high chance for it to happen, that Ohno actually hits him. It was the main risk he took. It’s always the main risk. And with every time he is here, there is a bigger rip in his and Ohno’s friendship, but Nino doesn’t mind much.  Not anymore. There were times when he tried to beg Ohno, when he cried and yelled, but there is no use to do that. Because of his own unique power Ohno is too deeply involved into this world’s politics. He isn’t the person he used to be.  
  
Nino isn’t scared of Ohno, he isn’t scared of the High Castle. He knows they will never do any harm to him, not because he is valuable or interesting for them. He doesn’t have specific powers – his willpower and his strength of mind are his main forte, which doesn’t mean much to the higher ups. His value comes from something completely different. For them he is the only connection to Jun they have. And Jun is damn valuable for them.  
  
“He is miserable, Ohno-sama, and you are telling me that you really don’t mind? If that’s true then, yes, you are really not the person anymore that I once loved.” When Ohno opens his mouth, Nino shakes his head. “Yes, I loved you. Did you think I would sleep with you, if I hadn’t been in love? I know a relationship was always out of question for us, so I won’t complain. But I-“ he pauses. “I can’t recognize you anymore, Satoshi. Not at all. Who is the man in front of me?”  
  
Ohno stays quiet and Nino knows that if he continues to push into him, he will probably regret it. He has tried it, he was here, he was unsuccessful, but at least he tried. Nino doesn’t say anything to Ohno anymore, except for.  “Good-bye Satoshi.”  He isn’t sure himself if he said good-bye to the person he misses so badly, the person Satoshi once was, or to the current Satoshi, because he doesn’t want to return to him, ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aimiya meeting! Aiba has a thick skin and a lot more stamina here than Nino *lol* Do you think these two will have a chance?
> 
> And stage free for Ohno! Well, this wasn't a good talk he and Nino had. And Jun and Ohno aren't on good terms either. We'll gradually find out why. Ohno will play an important role.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun gets an unexpected visitor before he breaks down in front of Sho. Can Sho save him?

Aiba hasn’t looked for Nino, really, his eyes have just been nervously following every fragile, black-haired guy with light-brown eyes, until he finally found the right one. To be honest, he hasn’t expected to meet Nino coincidentally, although it’s a small town they live in. He doesn’t even know why he feels attracted to him in the first place, because he is a little annoying and a mean brat, but he has those strong, intense and warm eyes. Eyes say a lot about a person, Aiba thinks. And Nino’s eyes pull him in.  
  
So, yes, he has wished to meet him again, but hasn’t _expected_ to meet him… especially not at such a late hour in a shady coffee shop he has been heading to after his shift ended at work.  
  
“Nino-san?” Nino looks up and to Aiba’s surprise he looks sad, almost like he has been crying. “I…” Aiba stutters. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to get on your nerves. I just saw you from outside and…”  
  
Nino chuckles. “Shut up, Human, get yourself a drink and join me.”  
  
Aiba smiles. “You like playing the jerk, don’t you?”  
  
“Am I good at it?” Nino wants to know.  
  
“Hm, Sho thinks you are, I however believe you are a nice guy,” Aiba muses while he orders some whisky from the waitress in a cheap bunny costume. “Why are you even here? In such a shady location…”  
  
“Why are you?” Nino asks back.  
  
Aiba chuckles. “Only shop that’s still open.”  
  
“Same here.”  
  
For a while they don’t say anything, until Aiba receives his drink. “Did something happen?” he asks carefully. “Is Jun-san alright?”  
  
Nino nods. “He is alright, it’s just…” He sighs. “I’m just being silly, Masaki-san. I’ve been thinking about the past, and about past friendships and people I used to love.”  
  
“You had an ex-encounter,” Aiba analyses dryly. He is like this, straight-forward, but he honestly thinks there is no use in beating around the bush all the time.  
  
Nino looks at him in surprise, then he laughs. “Yes,” he says. “I had an ex-encounter. Though we only dated loosely. It wasn’t possible for us to be a couple.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Because of his and mine position. He is a higher-up in mine and Jun’s world. I’m not,” Nino says casually, but Aiba assumes it’s not even half of the true story.  
  
“Your world,” Aiba says curiously. “You always say your world. And you call us _Humans_ as if you aren’t.”  
  
“Well, I’m not Human.” Nino shrugs. “And Jun isn’t either. Or did you think a Human would be able to collect sunshine? Or like he did last week, if I may remind you, let a few stars fall down.”  
  
“Wait!” Aiba’s head snaps up. He remembers it, it’s been in the newspaper. A very rare moment of polar lights and shooting stars. The chance of something like this happening is once in two thousand years, they said. He swallows. “That was Jun-san?”  
  
“Yes,” Nino smiles. “He has an incredible power.”  
  
Aiba’s eyes widen in shock and amazement. “He really has,” he whispers.  
  
Nino chuckles. “You are a good guy, Masaki-kun. I’m sorry for giving you such a hard time before, but you know, Jun…”  
  
“He is your closest friend,” Aiba concludes and smiles. “I guess I would be similar if it was Sho-kun, or if I would be able to play a jerk so convincingly.”  
  
Again, Nino laughs. “You know what, Masaki-kun?” he says when he has calmed down from his obvious amusement. “Let’s get away from here, grab something on our way and go to my place. You are right, this bar is way too shady. And you have successfully improved my mood, so… I owe you.”  
  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Jun enjoys those quiet Sunday afternoons when no one is around because everyone has to meet with their families or is invited out. The streets are deserted then, quiet, and he can stroll them and feel at peace, and safe. He likes this town, although it’s always cold here because it’s so high up in the north, and although it’s tiny and a bit rough. It’s still nice. He also loves watching the sea in winter when the ice on the water moves and the ships break through it.  
  
He _thinks_ he is alone. The more he is surprised when he sees a well-known person strolling through the park as well. It’s Sho. He sits down at the bench now, head covered between his hands, and before Jun can even stop himself he has already approached him. His heart hurts by the sight in front of him, the guilt always his company. Should he have helped? But if he had, someone else would have suffered. There is no right or wrong, only wrong. And now Sho’s sight in front of him hurts him more than he has expected. He puts his hand on his shoulder softly, squeezing it while he sits down next to him.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Jun whispers. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you.”  
  
“How do you know?” Sho shakes his head, his voice shaking through some sobs. And: “It’s not your fault, Jun-san. In fact I’m thankful to you for giving her the last moment to be happy.”  
  
Jun feels something inside him sting painfully. What use is there to such a power if he can’t even save a little, innocent girl.  
  
“She talked about the last party all the time,” Sho continues, removing his hands from his face now. A small smile graces his lips. “She said it’s been an angel that brought her sunshine so she could feel the water of the lake and she could feel the summer for the last time.”  
  
“Now you are comforting me,” Jun says quietly. “While I should be the one comforting you.” He takes Sho’s hand, squeezing it and for a moment he is concentrating right on the feeling inside him. He doesn’t want to play with Sho’s emotions, but he can at least give him a little bit of his own calm and peaceful feeling.  
  
“You are doing something to me aren’t you?” Sho asks all of a sudden.  
  
“Do you want me to stop?” Jun asks carefully. “It’s nothing that influences you, just a piece of me to make you see yourself from my eyes, and how much she loved you and how proud you can be of your work.”  
  
“Is it dangerous?” Sho asks quietly. “I don’t want to put someone else into danger because…”  
  
“No,” Jun interrupts him. “It’s my own energy and my feelings I’m taking. Nothing dangerous for you or another person. Just close your eyes,” he says soothingly, nodding in relief when Sho does. Then he shows it to him, makes his own feelings go through Sho’s… from the day of the summer party, makes him see the smiles the little kids were showing him, the warmth coming from them, and their love and respect. Jun has witnessed it all after all, standing at the side and watching this man and how kindly he was treated. It touched his heart deeply at that day, so deep that he kept that emotion bottled up inside him like he does with all important memories, glad that he has this moment now to show it to Sho. He goes even further, to the day Sho brought him something to eat, and how touched and embarrassed he was by this kind gesture. He can’t remember anyone except Nino ever being so kind towards him.  
  
After a while Jun stops. Although he wants to give Sho more, he can’t. After all he needs to save some of his energy for work. Unfortunately. He wonders if it’s enough, but to his relief Sho shows him a warm smile. “Thank you,” he whispers, touching Jun’s shoulder softly. “I don’t know how you immediately know what happened…”  
  
“Instinct,” Jun answers honestly. “Just part of my power.”  
  
Sho smiles. “Thank you, Jun-san. I’ll keep what you showed me in my heart and remember it whenever I’m going to face the downs of my job.”  
  
  
~~~  
  
When Jun thinks of his meeting with Sho, he has to smile, but reality is tough right now, so he doesn’t have time for daydreams. Five wishes for specific weather, a few shooting stars, one woman wanting to be able to cook for an evening to stop her mother in law from pestering her, one young man wanting to make the flowers in the garden of his grandmother grow so that she will see them one last time. One woman who wants to get pregnant so badly, but even after years of trying she isn’t. One boy who wants his bullies to stop torturing him. One young student who wants to get rid of his fear before an exam, and another one who wants his professor to stop hating on him.  
  
For one week it’s plenty. Too much almost. Jun looks down at his hands, they shiver slightly, like he is low on sugar. And even though Sho and his friend Aiba visit him regularly to provide him with food, he feels he can’t drag it out any longer. He needs more energy or he will faint, but he hates to ask Nino for help. Not because he doesn’t respect or love Nino… it’s rather exactly because he respects him. What kind of person is he to always ask his best friend and warrior at his side for such disgusting things.  
  
Nino has his own life too, and he shouldn’t always rely on his kindness.  
  
Jun lets out a sigh, he needs to hang in there for a little longer, he thinks while he closes his shop. For a moment he leans his forehead against the door frame, taking a few deep breaths. It’s cold isn’t it? Was it so cold all day? There are little goosebumps on his skin all of a sudden. No, it wasn’t that cold, it was warm all day, not like this…  
  
It’s…  
  
Oh my god! Why… why did he come? He never crosses the border and enters the human world normally! Jun spins around, his eyes meeting the small figure leaning against the wall at the opposite side of the street. He looks almost out of place in this world, obviously not belonging here. Their eyes meet, and Jun curses inwardly. Even if Jun wanted to, he couldn’t pretend he hasn’t seen him now.  
  
“Are you always working so long, Jun? You are always overdoing it.”  
  
“I feel honoured that you sacrifice your precious time,” Jun doesn’t even try to hide his annoyed and angry tone. “But it’s in vain. Why don’t you send your huntsmen instead? At least I and Kazunari could beat them up then.”  
  
“Why don’t you come back, Jun?” Ohno steps out of the shadow.  
  
“Like hell I’m coming back with you?” Jun huffs. “The only way to get me back is to knock me unconscious and drag me home by force. If you ever sink that low, Satoshi-san, then congratulation, but I’ll never even look at you again.”  
  
Ohno lets out a sigh. “I could never raise my hand against you, you know that.”  
  
“Right,” Jun answers sarcastically, although it’s true. Ohno has never hit him even once. For a world rather violent such as theirs where it’s normal to show ones power and position that way, Ohno not even having slapped him up to now – no matter how many awful things Jun says to him – actually does mean something.  
  
Another sigh, like it’s actually Jun who is pestering someone and not the other way round. “I’m not relying on such sly methods,” Ohno says. “And the others won’t either.”  
  
“Yes,” Jun snorts. “Because influencing my life energy is so much less sly.” He knows it’s not Ohno’s doing but the fact that he just keeps watching is disappointing him to no end.  
  
“Jun,” Ohno says softly. “They want you to come home more often, they love you. They won’t lock you in or anything alike.”  
  
Yes, Jun thinks sadly, because loving someone shows in torturing his life and sucking out his energy, and sabotaging him with whatever he does. He doesn’t say it out loud though. “I need to go,” he says instead. Ohno wouldn’t understand. He hardly crosses the border anyway. The fact that he is here is already a bad sign in itself.  
  
“Jun…”  
  
When Ohno takes a step closer, Jun scares back, and for a moment he is sure that Ohno looks shocked and deeply hurt for once. He halts though and doesn’t move towards Jun anymore, and for a second Jun actually feels bad for having hurt him.  
  
“I have a business appointment,” Jun lies. “I need to go.”  
  
He has no idea how to make Ohno believe him to be honest, to make him go away for now. Then however he sees a well-known figure passing the main street. He has had mixed and confusing emotions towards that man up to now, but at the moment he feels like he is an angel, just here to save him.  
  
“Ah, here he is!” Jun says hastily. “I need to hurry.” When Ohno eyes him sceptically, he waves towards the person. “Sensei!” he calls out, carefully aware not to call out his full name. The last thing he wants is for Ohno or the High Castle to spy on that poor, innocent man. “Wait for me. I’m already coming.”  
  
In case Sho’s surprised, he hides it well. But apparently a glance towards Jun and Ohno has already given him enough insight in how tensed they are.  
  
“Fine,” Ohno says before Jun can leave. “But we’ll talk about this again.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jun bites out sarcastically. “I can’t wait. Thank you for your effort~”  
  
Ohno doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even glare at him. He just frowns slightly, but then he shakes his head. “Alright. Go, but I’ll keep watching you.”  
  
Jun bites down on his tongue before he can actually retort something mean again. He doesn’t want to push it too far, scared that Ohno might change his mind and actually drag him back into their world. Instead he turns around and hurries towards Sho, who gladly is still waiting for him.  
  
“Are you alright, Jun-san?” Sho asks.  
  
“Just get me away,” Jun whispers. “Get me away. Fast. As far as possible.”  
  
“But-“  
  
“Just get me away from here,” he hisses. He doesn’t dare to look back. “From him.”  
  
To his relief Sho doesn’t ask anymore, just grabs his arm and tugs him along. He can almost feel Ohno’s glance at his back, relieved that he isn’t following them. His legs feel wobbly, and his head dizzy. Damn it, he has hardly any strength left. He grabs Sho’s arm to steady himself, earning him a surprised and worried glance by the doctor. Sho rubs his arm soothingly.  
  
“We are almost there,” Sho soothes him. “Just hang in there.”  
  
Jun only remotely realizes that it’s apparently Sho’s apartment they are heading to, because Sho has the keys with him. It’s a nice one, it seems, just immensely messy. Even in his current state, Jun decides he needs to clean up here once he is feeling better. Sho helps him to lie down on the couch after he has kicked some shirts and pillows, a box with cookies, two books and a package with yellow soaps aside, and Jun is glad he is dizzy enough not to be really bothered about all the stuff.  
  
“Take a rest here,” Sho says, brushing through Jun’s hair softly. “I’ll get you some tea.”  
  
Jun’s head starts spinning slightly. It’s never been that bad, never. He feels nervous all of a sudden. If he really loses his conscious Nino will have to take him home, and he can’t risk that, he can’t-  
  
“Don’t leave.” Jun grabs Sho’s hand before he can go.  
  
Sho blinks. “Jun-san,” he says warmly. “I’m here, I’m making you tea and getting you some meds and…”  
  
“Your meds won’t help me,” Jun coughs. “Human meds won’t.”  
  
“What should I do then?” Sho asks immediately. “Tell me what I should do!”  
  
Jun bites his lip nervously. “Kiss me,” he breaths out. “I need…”  
  
Sho blinks. “What?”  
  
“Energy, it gives me energy.” The sight in front of him gets blurry, and he is hardly able to see Sho properly. “Sho-san, kiss me…”  he coughs, body shivering. “Oh god, please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Ohno visited Jun and unsettled him, although he didn't really seem to want to harm Jun? What do you think? What does Ohno actually want from Jun?  
> And Aiba successfully found Nino in a weak moment :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who are Jun and Nino?

Sho isn’t sure if Jun is joking with him or not, but he figures by the whiteness of his face and shivering of his body he is definitely deadly serious. He leans forward a bit, brushing Jun’s bangs aside with a sigh. “Fine,” he mumbles. “But if this is a joke, I’ll get really mad.” He bends forward, pressing his lips against Jun’s. They feel cold, trembling slightly. With increasing desperation Sho deepens their kiss, his hand holding Jun’s head to be closer to him. He is about to panic for real at the lifeless body in front of him when he suddenly realizes that Jun’s lips are getting warmer.  
  
“It works,” he breaths out.  
  
“Yes,” Jun mumbles tiredly, and almost too silent for him to hear.  
  
He is awake again! Sho kisses him once more, pecking his lips slightly, and when Jun opens his lips, he pushes his tongue inside, his hand against Jun’s neck feeling how Jun’s body gets warmer and how the trembling stops.  
  
Then Jun opens his eyes, and the look in them is clear again. “Thank you,” Jun mumbles against Sho’s lips. “Thank you so much, Sho-san, but you need to stop. It will drain too much energy from you and-“  
  
“Shut up,” Sho huffs. “Other than you I’m gaining energy by eating, so I’ll just eat a bag with cookies afterwards.”  
  
“You need to call Kazunari afterwards,” Jun tells him before he lets Sho kiss him once more.  
  
Half an hour later Jun is asleep on the couch. This time Sho is certain that he is alright because his breath goes regularly and his cheeks are coloured in a hint of red. Sho’s body on the other side feels a little weak, he feels drained and tired, like he is suffering from flu. He assumes it’s the lack of energy Jun was talking about before. He takes the box with cookies from the floor and catches himself a bottle with ice cream, eating half of it before he starts wondering what he is supposed to do now.  
  
Jun asked him to call Nino. But how? He doesn’t have his number or contact dance. Hence he calls Aiba first, mainly to discuss with him what to do next. Aiba is appalled immediately. “I’ll get Nino-kun,” he says immediately. “You don’t need to worry. I know where he lives.”  
  
“How?” Sho blinks. _Nino?_ He is using a short form of his name?  
  
“Well, he is cute,” Aiba stutters. “And we live in a small town. I was keeping my eyes open for him and-“  
  
“Don’t tell me you stalked him?” Sho interrupts him.  
  
“No, well…” Aiba pauses. “A bit maybe. I saw him in a coffee shop once and he looked sad, so we talked… and went to his place to chat. From then I know where he lives.”  
  
“Fine,” Sho nods. “I’ll be awaiting the both of you then. Be fast.”  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Nino merely says hello, just pushes past Sho and heads towards the sofa. Sho and Aiba follow him. “He is asleep,” Nino mumbles.  
  
“He asked me to kiss him,” Sho explains, his heart jumping slightly when the realisation kicks in of what he just did. He blushes slightly. He kissed Jun. Jun has wonderful lips, and his eyes shone with so much warmth before, with so much faith. And right before, when he looked so helpless, Sho just wanted to help him, he was ready to do anything to help him. He only knows him for a short while now, but he can’t help it… He wants to protect him. The feeling is stronger than any romantic feelings he had before. “I know you threatened me before, but he looked deadly serious and panicked, so I did…”  
  
For a moment Nino doesn’t say anything, just holds Jun’s hand. He is shaking slightly, and Sho almost fears it’s anger, when suddenly Nino looks up at him. “Thank you, Sho-san,” he says. “Thank you so much.  You saved his life! You are looking a bit pale yourself, are you sure you are alright?”  
  
“Yes, I had a sugar overdose now,” Sho reassures him.  
  
“Good, I’ll give him more of my own energy,” Nino tells them. “He will need it. Why don’t you guys go to the kitchen meanwhile? We’ll probably need some coffee or tea.”  
  
Sho gets the hint, and nods. He tugs Aiba with him who throws a worried glance towards Nino and Jun, and a slightly jealous one. “Come,” Sho says to him. “You know if you leave me alone in the kitchen, it will be a catastrophe. I found the recipe for a cake and-”  
  
“Oh my god,” Aiba breaths out. “Don’t dare to touch any ingredients. I’ll do it. You can give me the pans, if you want to.”  
  
Sho pouts. It was supposed to be a distraction strategy, but it almost works too well, he thinks. But then, it’s a nice distraction, because imagining Nino with Jun makes weird things to his stomach. Things he doesn’t quite understand.  
  
  
~~~  
  
Nino joins them half an hour later. “He is asleep. I ordered him to rest on the couch the whole day. I told him I would drag him to the palace and let them whip him, if he dares to disobey me this time.”  
  
“Right.” Aiba chuckles. “I don’t get the part with the palace, but as if you would ever do that to him! You are obsessed with his safety and well-being. Like you would let someone whip him just like that.”  
  
Nino smiles warily. “You got me, I guess.” With a sigh, he sits down, stretching slightly. Much to Sho’s surprise he isn’t paler or more tired than before.  
  
“You don’t have problems with running out of energy?”  
  
“No, we have endless energy,” Nino explains. When Sho throws him a surprise glance, thinking about Jun, he seems to catch his question immediately. “With Jun it’s different. Jun is a collector. In our world collectors are very very rare. And a collector always has to give a piece of himself when collecting something and when fulfilling a dream. It’s also the reason why he is so detached sometimes, unfriendly almost…”  
  
“Because he runs out of energy and because he had to give too much of his own positive feelings to apply to a wish,” Sho breaths out. He remembers the day at the park, when Jun made him relax, and suddenly he feels guilty. Jun said, he took his own energy for it, energy he would have probably needed for himself.  
  
“Is it normal that collectors are so weak though?” Aiba asks curiously. “Because somehow Jun-san seems to be getting tired and pale pretty fast.”  
  
Nino winces slightly, much to Sho’s surprise. Apparently Aiba hit a point. “It’s not normal,” he says quietly.  
  
“But why? Is he sick?”  
  
Nino shook his head, biting down on his lips nervously.  
  
“What is it then?” Sho pushes him. “He isn’t sick. So, is he in some dubious business, is he doing something illegal, is he-“  
  
“Before you make me mad by doubting his innocent and sweet motives, I’ll rather tell you,” Nino huffs. “Collectors are rare.”  
  
“And?” Aiba wants to know.  
  
“Super-rare, with a unique power and well-respected. A collector can actually have everything, every possession and as much money he wants in our world.”  
  
“I still don’t get it,” Aiba muses.  
  
Sho frowns for a moment, then his eyes widen. “Politics?” he asks. “Is this about politics? You mean, he can have whatever he wants in your world as long as he stays there, right?”  
  
“Yes, a powerful and valuable possession. That’s how they see him.” Nino grimaces in disgust and anger, and slowly Sho starts to understand why he is so hostile towards everyone who comes too close to Jun. He probably sees a trap everywhere. “Our world is ruled by three royal houses. The High Castle, the most powerful, possessing the light. The dark fortress, owning the darkness, and the Hidden Manor, ruling over time. The most powerful within them is the High Castle, their powers are the most important and their members are the most powerful by birth. The High Castle follows a marriage policy with the Hidden Manor which is why these are allies, and you could see the Hidden Manor as a sort of branch of the High Castle and not as an individual royal house.”  
  
“And they want Jun-san?” Sho asks in disbelief. It sounds like it’s a freaking fairy-tale. Just that he knows it isn’t because Jun has brought him sunshine, peace and obviously lives from the energy of others.  
  
“Yes, I told you, Jun is an important possession. A collector. Currently one of only three we have in our world, and by far the most powerful one. You know…” Nino pauses. “Jun is willing to give a lot of himself to fulfil other’s wishes. It’s dangerous but it’s also why he is that powerful.”  
  
“I still don’t get that part about the life energy,” Aiba points out.  
  
“The High Castle is ruled by aristocrats. Kings and queens and alike. So, what they say is our law,” Nino explains. “It means they can do what they see fit. And they want Jun to return to our world and work for them. Basically it means to get locked in and be used as a mere tool. A sad life. He doesn’t want that to happen of course, hence they want him to return by force and…”  
  
“…And minimalised his life energy,” Sho ends. “How cruel,” he says silently.  
  
“It’s because he is a collector,” Nino explains. “They wouldn’t care if he was something else. They want to own him. It’s not about respect or love or anything, they just want to have a powerful weapon. Just that it’s a person and they would need to lock him into their beautiful castle, and want to force him to stay. I told you he can have whatever he wants… except freedom.”  
  
“What’s a life with all wonderful possessions if you can’t have love and freedom,” Aiba muses and Nino throws him a surprised glance, nodding softly.  
  
“So that man today-“ Sho starts.  
  
“Man!?” Nino interrupts him immediately. “What man!?”  
  
Sho blinks. “Oh, within all the drama I forgot. When I met Jun he was actually talking to someone. He looked scared and angry, and then he approached me, pretended we had an appointment, and he begged me to get him away from that place.”  
  
“Where?” Nino asks sharply. “Where did they talk?”  
  
“In front of his shop.”  
  
“And how did he look like?” Nino wants to know.  
  
“I’m not sure.” Sho frowns, trying to focus. “Like he didn’t belong here, you know? Obviously not from this world. He was dressed all in white, and his hair was light too. He was rather small. He didn’t look particularly unfriendly, but I wouldn’t say he wasn’t dangerous…. His face was almost sleepy, but there was something about him… something intimidating…”  
  
Nino puts the cup of tea down on the table with so much force that it cracks slightly. “Fuck it,” he curses. “Damn this stupid guy. Why did he come? Why did he have to unsettle Jun even further? Is it not enough that he is on their side and sabotages him whenever he sees fit?”  
  
“Who is it?” Sho asks sharply. “Who is that dude?”  
  
Nino opens his lips, about to say something. Then he closes his mouth again, and shakes his head. “I can’t tell you,” he says quietly. “I’m sorry. I can’t tell you. It goes too much into Jun’s privacy. It’s part of his life.”  
  
“But he is dangerous?” Aiba wants to know.  
  
Nino takes a while to answer. “In his own way, he loves Jun. He would never physically hurt him,” he finally explains. “But he wants him back in our world, which is why he is a problem too. He doesn’t see what Jun truly needs and how he really feels. He is too deep involved to see it.” He pauses, suddenly looking sad. “He was a good guy once. I’m hoping this side of him is still there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, not much happening here, but we got some background information, right? :D There is still a lot missing though.  
> Oh, and I decided to keep Friday for this multi here, because the chapters are a bit shorter and since I'm always so tired after work, it's easier for me to update this piece here. ^^


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens after Sho and Jun shared a kiss?   
> We hear a tiny bit more about Ohno, and the world Nino and Jun lived in.

Nino feels bad for having agreed to letting Jun stay at Sho’s place, mainly because he feels responsible and guilty, he is his personal watchman after all, he is supposed to save him from these unfortunate events, but up to now he has done a horrible job. Now he even left him at Sho’s place.  
  
“He is safe there,” Aiba says calmly. “Sho is a good guy, he will watch out for him. And he is asleep now. What use is there to drag him to another place?”  
  
Nino sighs. “I know you are right, still…”  
  
“I know,” Aiba soothes him as he closes the door behind them. They have agreed to sleep at Aiba’s place, because it’s close to Sho’s, and Nino would have spent the night on the park bench otherwise. “I know, Nino-san. I haven’t understood much about your story, but I understand as much that your main concern is to keep him safe. Though I think there is more about it, things you can’t tell us?”  
  
“Yes,” Nino says sadly. “You are human, you should have never been involved like this. Jun will feel guilty, and I do too.”  
  
“Nino-kun…” Aiba looks aside for a moment and then, before Nino can even react, he has suddenly wrapped his arms around Nino, pulling him into a hug.  
  
Nino gasps in shock, and his first instinct tells him to push Aiba aside and storm out of the apartment, but then his mind wanders to places it shouldn’t go. To Satoshi and how much he used to love him. To Jun and how they deliberately made him weak, and suddenly he can’t hold his tears back anymore. He is a warrior, Jun’s personal hunts- and watchman, but today he just wants to be Nino in Aiba’s humanly weak but warm arms. After years and years of heartache it feels nice to actually lie in someone else’s arms again, someone who is not Satoshi.  
  
Nino pulls back slightly and takes Aiba’s face in his hands. “Masaki-kun,” he says earnestly and pats Aiba’s chest, the place where his heart is beating. “This will only bring you sorrow and unhappiness.”  
  
“I know,” Aiba agrees quietly.  
  
“I can’t promise you anything, Masaki. And one part of my weak self might even still feel attached to the man I used to love so much when I was a teenager.”  
  
“Yes, I know.”  
  
“And the only person that can provide Jun with enough energy at the moment is me, you know that, don’t you? You also know what this means, don’t you? And don’t forget that one day Jun and I might need to return.” He brushes over Aiba’s cheeks. “This only means sorrow, Masaki,” he says quietly.  
  
Aiba looks away for a moment, his expression almost pained. Then however he has a firm look in his eyes. “I know that, Kazunari-san. So, just for tonight, and then never again…”  
  
“Okay,” Nino smiles softly. A kind guy like Aiba deserves a kind guy that is not like Nino, someone who is truly going to be there for him. But for one night he can fulfil his wish, even though it might be a mistake.  
  
Aiba chuckles. “I will regret this, won’t I?”  
  
“Well, you won’t be the only one,” Nino admits.  
  
Aiba smiles and wraps his arms around Nino’s waist, pulling him into a tight hug, before he bends down and kisses him softly. It feels warm, Aiba’s lips feel so warm, his whole body does. Nino decides that for once he is allowed to enjoy another person’s touches as exactly what it is: A kind person’s touches.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Jun’s hair is messy, his face sleepy when he strolls through the apartment without any sense of orientation. He walked against the door a few minutes ago which is why Sho woke up in the first place. “Searching something?” he asks sweetly.  
  
Jun almost jumps out of his skin, stumbling backwards over the little ottoman. Only Sho’s supporting hands stop him from dropping to the ground.  
  
Sho laughs, ignoring Jun’s glare. “I’m sorry,” he giggles. “But you were just so adorable.”  
  
Jun shrugs his hand off, frowning deeply. “If you have laughed enough, would be so kind as to show me the way to the bathroom.”  
  
Sho chuckles. “Sometimes your way of talking is so weird. Does it come from your world?” When Jun’s frown increases, Sho decides he needs to stop the teasing (and rather giggle inwardly). “The bathroom is right next to the kitchen,” he explains calmly. “I’ve put a towel there for you. It’s the blue one. Feel free to use whatever you need.”  
  
Apparently his hospitable approach works on Jun, because he blushes slightly and bows. “Thanks for your kindness.”  
  
He really behaves strangely sometimes, Sho thinks but doesn’t say it out loud. Maybe it’s because he isn’t human. He waits patiently for Jun to come back, checking on him while he pads through the corridor back to the bedroom. “You’ve let me sleep in your bed, right?” Jun asks all of a sudden when he eyes Sho’s current sleeping place at the sofa.  
  
“You needed it.” Sho says calmly, not ready to let Jun argue him on that issue now. Seriously.  
  
“But-“  
  
“No buts,” Sho interrupts him. “I’m the doctor here, right? So you listen to me.”  Jun frowns slightly, apparently trying to process Sho’s new tone and the way he talks to him. Sho chuckles. Slightly. “That tone normally works on the kids.”  
  
It finally draws a smile from Jun, a beautiful one. For a moment Sho feels like he looks into the face of a serene being. The room is lit up by the moonlight, and Jun standing in front of him, sparkling like the mysterious creature he probably is.  
  
“You are a bit pale, Jun,” he says softly, coming closer.  
  
Jun bites down on his lips, but when Sho reaches out his hands, he takes them. “I,” he stutters. “I’m not human, and I’m difficult. My story is, and…”  
  
“Jeez, really?” Sho teases. “And I thought you collapsing on my sofa, demanding a kiss from me, right after you argued with a mysterious man was actually an everyday occasion.”  
  
“Idiot,” Jun huffs.  
  
“I’m just teasing you because you are looking less sad and worried then,” Sho explains softly. “You know, for now…” he brushes through Jun’s black hair. “For now, how about I give you some of my energy?”  
  
“Really?” Jun snickers. “Do you think you have that much stamina?”  
  
Sho grins. “You might be surprised by how much stamina I have.” He wonders a little about how to take the next step, but Jun beats him to it anyway, as he grabs him by his collar and surges forward, kissing him passionately. Sho grabs his face and pulls him even closer, his heart beating like crazy while he feels Jun’s lips against his.  
  
Jun draws back, only a bit though so that he can say something. “You should run, sensei,” he mumbles. “You should run away. Go now. And never turn back anymore.”  
  
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Sho scolds him light-heartedly, drawing a chuckle from Jun.  
  
“I’m just saying you should think about this twice.”  
  
“Oh, I did,” Sho answers honestly. “I thought about it not only twice, but plenty of times. And no matter to what conclusion I came, you always popped up in my mind again. So, please, Jun-san, let me make my own decisions.”  
  
“Fine.” Jun mock-huffs. “Do what you want.”  
  
He will anyways, he thinks. He has always done what he truly believed in and wanted to do, no matter if others opposed him or not. That’s just the kind of person he is. So, if he wants to get close to this otherworldly being, it’s his decision solely. For him Jun is just Jun, the guy who gets irritated easily, but has a beautiful smile and a kind soul.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Jun’s fingers brush over Sho’s upper-arm. “You are surprisingly strong,” he muses, making Sho chuckle.  
  
“Is this a compliment?” he asks daringly.  
  
Jun smirks and stretches a bit to rest his head on Sho’s arm. “It is.”  
  
“Say, Jun-san, how is it in your world?” Sho isn’t sure if talking about Jun’s world will touch on a sensitive subject, but to his relief Jun just smiles.  
  
“Beautiful,” he says. “You can imagine it full with forests, and meadows, long rivers and romantic beaches, with huge castles and little, white houses. Just like in one of your fairy-tales actually.”  
  
“So, you don’t hate it?” Sho wants to know.  
  
“Of course not.” Jun chuckles. “I hate the High Castle, and the life they want to force on me, and how I’m nothing more than a prisoner there because of my gift. But the world itself and the normal people, I love.”  
  
Jun’s world is led by corrupt politics. Just like everywhere, Sho thinks. It’s not an exception.  
  
“Want to see it?” Jun asks.  
  
Sho blinks, and shakes his head. When Jun looks at him in disappointment, he brushes over his cheek softly. “Not because I don’t want to see it. I’d love to. But you are easily getting weak, and I don’t want you to lose any energy, just because you want to show me something.”  
  
Jun’s features soften up. “It doesn’t take energy from me.”  
  
“You said that the last time too.”  
  
“No, the last time I said that it wouldn’t harm you or another person. I didn’t mention myself. This time however, I promise, it won’t do any harm to me.” Jun smiles. “Memories, Sho-san, my own. I’m a collector. And collecting my own good and bad memories is the easiest task to do. And it’s not an effort at all for me to show it to someone.”  
  
“What do I need to do?” Sho asks curiously.  
  
“Just turn over and look me in the eye,” Jun says, and Sho follows his request immediately, turning to the side and facing Jun completely. He is so pretty, even from such a close-up. He can’t restrain himself and just has to peck his nose softly, making Jun giggle.  
  
Jun smacks his shoulder softly. “I need to concentrate,” he complains, before he teaks Sho’s hand into his. “Just look into my eyes, okay?”  
  
Sho nods, staring at Jun’s eyes intensely. He has thought his eyes were dark-brown, but actually they have a beautiful warm dark-chocolate colour to them. So deep. His eyes are so deep that it feels he can fall into them. Fall deep and…  
  
He blinks for a moment when he realizes he does actually fall. Like a water fountain that pulls him along, he gets dragged into Jun’s eyes. “What…”  
  
“Sh,” Jun soothes him, and squeezes his hand. “Don’t panic. Just come with me. It’s only in our minds.”  
  
So, Sho does, let’s Jun lead him through the darkness of the memories he has closed up and bottled into far away corners up to a radiating one. Then he sees it. A huge landscape in front of him, just like Jun described it. Beautiful romantic rivers, animals he has never seen before. Wide Victorian-looking towns, with charming houses. People on the street that don’t look that much different to themselves. Just that they are dressed differently. He has expected them to wear old-fashioned clothes from the last century, just like in the pictures of European fairy-tales, but there is more of an exotic, modern yet gothic touch to what they wearing. Almost like Victorian clothes, just modernized. He also notices that some are dressed with more unique and specific clothes than others. He assumes that they were clothes fitting their abilities and their positions. For a moment Sho’s mind swifts to the man Jun has talked to before he broke down.  
  
“Don’t think of him,” Jun presses out, a shiver going through his body. And for the blink of a moment Sho can actually see said man. He is at a huge villa close to the ocean, looking down at the sea.  
  
_How can you do this to me, Satoshi-san?_  
  
The other guy turns his head to look at Jun directly. _I just want to protect you, please understand that, Jun._ He turns to a few guys approaching them. _Take him to the castle where he is safe._  
  
Sho can feel Jun’s panic almost like he is there himself. Then however he can hear a ruckus happening, the men turning around in confusion. And Sho sees Nino, dressed in black tight clothes, with armguards and something similar protecting his legs and his back. He grabs Jun and tugs him along.  
  
_Kazunari,_ Jun gasps.  
  
_What, my little proud princess,_ Nino sneers, using the nickname Jun hates so much. _Thought I would leave you behind? We’ll go to the Human world. They are powerless there. He won’t-_  
  
Jun closes his eyes, and it feels like an invisible hand pulls Sho out of the water all of a sudden. Sho raises his head a bit, blinking in confusion when he realizes they are still in his bedroom, lying next to each other. “Jun,” he says softly. “What happened?”  
  
“That moment you saw me with Satoshi,” Jun explains tiredly. “We share that memory. Something  made you remember him strongly while we were in my memories, so… it automatically made me remember something. It’s not your fault, I wasn’t ready for it to happen.”  
  
“What does that guy want from you? Why is he like that?”  
  
“He believes in what he does,” Jun admits quietly. “That’s the problem. He believes I’m safe when locked into the High Castle.” He pauses. “I used to trust him. I used to like him a lot, you know? He, Nino and I, we were always together when we were kids,” Jun mumbles and turns away from Sho. He rolls over, so that Sho is facing his back now.  
  
Sho sighs slightly and wraps his arms around Jun from behind. “But you escaped?”  
  
“Kazunari distracted them. Then he went to the High Castle and told them I would like to live in the Human world for a while.”  
  
“And they let you?” Sho asks in surprise.  
  
“My power is the strongest when used by my own will,” Jun explains. “That’s the only trump card I have. They want to force me back, but they can’t do it with physical strength, it won’t benefit them. And my mind is strong enough to withstand their little games. For now.”  
  
Sho wonders what he should say now. He assumes there is nothing to say but the truth. “I wish you peace,” he says softly, smiling when he can feel how Jun rubs his fingers over his arms. “I wish for you to be able to lead the life you want to live.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, unexpectedly both couples kind of get things going in this chapter. To be honest, I didn't expect it myself, but suddenly they both made out. Though, Aiba and Nino settled on some sort of one-time thing? And Sho and Jun settled on anything at all, but Jun showed Sho some glimpses of his life, which means something, right? :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Sho and Jun have an unexpected visitor. And Jun makes a drastic decision.

“I don’t like that,” Nino grumbles and side-eyes Jun and Sho while they are having breakfast together.  
  
“Shut up and eat a piece of toast with peanut butter,” Jun interrupts him and hands him said food.  
  
“Your princess is bossy,” Aiba jokes while using Jun’s infamous nickname, and both he and Sho laugh. Much to Sho’s surprise though Nino shifts around a little embarrassed, and Jun blushes.  
  
Interesting, Sho thinks, their reaction just now was very interesting. He wonders what it is these two truly share. Friendship? Are they like brothers? Or are they family? Or is there a bond of love between them?  
  
Something inside Sho’s stomach twitches painfully. It’s a selfish wish, he knows that, but he wants Jun to be happy… together with him, not with Nino.  
  
It’s later that day when he receives two grumpy but cute messages from Jun because he hasn’t slept enough, but still wants to meet him again tonight, that he feels a bit more special to Jun again. Maybe he has his place in his life too… maybe. Sho goes for his ward round in hospital. Little Mayu will be released soon, and he wants to check on her one last time. She has had difficulties to get over Miki’s death, and they have talked a lot with Sho trying to comfort and motivate her.  
  
The afternoon is calm and gladly not too busy. He has time for his little patients, and for his paper work. It’s when he is about to leave the hospital to go home, change and get ready for his date with Jun that he sees _him_.  
  
He knows immediately that he isn’t a person from this world. By now he has developed a little feeling for it – visiting Jun’s and Nino’s world through Jun’s mind helped him to understand a few things – although it’s not as obvious as it was when this Satoshi-guy came to visit. This guy is different, more adapted to his surroundings, more like a normal human, but still…  
  
Sho sighs, knowing he can’t avoid this dude. He can as well get over it now. “Can I help you, man from the other world?” he asks casually after he approached him. The guy is clad in black, just on his collar he sees the golden print of three little stars and a sign that reminds him of an exclamation mark.  
  
The guy is visibly taken aback. “Sakurai-sensei?” he asks.  
  
“Hm.” Sho muses, not answering immediately. “And who do I have the pleasure to talk to?”  
  
“My name isn’t important.”  
  
“Of course it isn’t,” Sho concludes. “You are probably afraid that this little black-haired devil named Ninomiya will hunt you down if he knows your name.” By the way the guy’s eyes widen, he knows he has hit the truth. “I also need to tell you that I’m an excellent painter. I will be able to put your face onto paper within seconds.” His best lie ever. He sucks at painting, but gladly this dude seems to buy it, because he is getting slightly nervous.  
  
“Listen, sensei, I’m not here to do you any harm,” he finally says calmly. “But you don’t know him. You don’t know what he did.”  
  
Of course, he is talking about Jun. He is here because of Jun. Before he can even continue to talk, Sho stops him though. “Yes,” Sho nods. “That’s true. I don’t know what he did or if he betrayed or hurt someone, or what kind of awful person you might see him as. But you know-” Sho throws him an angry glance. “It might surprise you, I don’t care, and I don’t want to know anything. Not from a person that’s only here to talk bad about him. I don’t give a penny on the opinion of people who use threats and who badmouth others.” Sho shakes his head. “It’s you guys who don’t know him, and that’s pretty pathetic. Because up to now I’ve only seen him doing kind things for others while not minding his own health and problems.”  
  
The guy has the decency to look a bit embarrassed, then he shakes his head. “I don’t hate him,” he says. “I know that he is kind. But for us it’s difficult. We have our orders.”  
    
“And you don’t scare away from using any methods you can,” Sho concludes silently.  
  
“Toma,” the guy says. “My name is Toma. I’m leaving for now, but I can’t promise not to come back.”  
  
With that he disappears, and Sho lets out a deep sigh. He has played a dangerous game just now, but it seems he has won for now. His phone rings. It’s a message from Jun. _I’m finished in an hour. Don’t you dare to come too late! I’m starving._  
  
Sho laughs. _Always so demanding. How about a ‘please’? :-)_  
  
_Fine. Please! òÓ_  
  
Sho has to laugh even more, sending Jun a digital kiss instead of an answer in words. He smiles when he receives a stamp in the form of a heart.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Jun raises his head in surprise when someone enters his shop. He was about to close it and meet Sho, and go and have dinner with him. Normally no one comes so late. When he sees the person in front of him he is even more surprised though.  
  
Shun is a well-known guest, not because he is a frequenting customer, but because he is one of the High Castle’s elite guards and uses to visit Jun here and there, trying to convince him to come back.  
  
Jun lets out a sigh of frustration. “Again Shun-san? You came again? You just visited me two weeks ago!”  
  
“Well,” Shun sighs slightly. “Yes, I know. I wanted to check on you and see if you are okay.”  
  
Jun blinks, checking the person in front of him. His certain gift provides him with the ability to read people well. That way he knew that Sho-san is a kind guy, that he has a beautiful soul and a strong mind. Shun is one of the people he doesn’t like to see, but doesn’t dread to see either. They used to be almost friends when growing up and Shun always treated him respectful although he was a guard sent from the High Castle.  
  
Today however something in Shun’s eyes strikes him. “You have a request,” Jun says in astonishment. “You are not here to check on me, but to actually ask for my services!”  
  
“I…” Shun looks away in embarrassment. “Yes,” he finally admits. “Please forgive me.”  
  
Jun is too surprised and taken aback to say something. Up to now the members of the High Castle have been pestering him and threatening him to come back, but it is the first time that someone actually came to him as a customer. Is it a trap? He frowns, checking Shun from head to toe. No, he doesn’t think so. “What do you need?”  
  
“I want a piece of a star.” Shun’s voice is pained, like he knows what kind of huge favour he asks.  
  
“That’s a very specific wish, Shun-sama.” Jun frowns. “What do you need it for?”  
  
Shun’s smile wavers. “I want it as a good luck charm and-“  
  
“That’s a lie,” Jun interrupts him and shrugs. He points at his contract. “I won’t give it to you.”  
  
Shun lets out a sigh. “Jun-san-“  
  
“No,” Jun shakes his head. “It’s my shop, my work and my rules. Whoever doesn’t apply to the rules, I won’t help.”  
  
“Fine,” Shun gives in. “I want to put back the light in her eyes.”  
  
Jun blinks. “What?”  
  
“She lost the baby,” Shun admits quietly. “Our baby. She is so sad. I want to make her smile again, and a star…”  
  
“A start puts back the light into people’s eyes and smiles,” Jun continues quietly.  Something inside him clenches nervously. A piece of a star, this is going to be difficult.  
  
“Can you help me?” Shun asks hopefully.  
  
Jun knows that he should never take this request. He knows it, but yet he can’t decline it. “Yes,” he says. “I’ll help you.”  
  
It’s dangerous, and it will lead him to his world. He will need to ask for favours, and the High Castle will sabotage him again. He needs to think of a good plan, a way to avoid the Castle to know what he is up to. And he can’t tell Nino, definitely not. He has dragged him into his shit too often, and this here is something he can’t drag him into.   
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Jun places a soft kiss on top of Sho’s head. It’s in the middle of the night and Sho stirs a bit in his sleep.  
  
“Jun,” he mumbles. “What’s the matter?”  
  
“Nothing,” Jun says warmly, bending down to capture Sho’s lips in a soft kiss. The latter smiles slightly against them.  
  
“You are clingy tonight,” he mumbles. “But that’s cute.”  
  
“Sleep, Sho-san,” Jun murmurs softly, his fingers diving through Sho’s hair. His heart beats faster at the sight in front of him. It was probably a mistake to fall in love with this human here, but he couldn’t help it. Sho just got his attention from the first day on, when he came to his shop and felt bad about placing such a simple order, guilty almost. It drew Jun’s attention on him immediately. He was the first person to react like that.  
  
When Sho is deep asleep again, Jun crawls out of the bed, angling for his watch at the nightstand table, and quietly going to the bathroom. He washes himself and switches into his clothes swiftly and almost silently. Before he leaves the apartment, he throws one last glance into the bedroom.  
  
“I’ll return,” he mumbles, trying to feel confidence about the task before him. “I _will_ return.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Jun is leaving, and plans on going back to his world secretly. Do you think it's a trap or not? And what are Nino and Sho going to do?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where did Jun go to? And how will Nino react? Nino also tells Masaki and Sho more about Jun...

“What do you mean he is NOT HERE!?” Nino yells through the phone, and already slips into his trousers before Aiba can even ask what’s going on. The latter blinks slightly in his half-sleep. “Since when is he away? Fuck it!” He left in the middle of the night. That stupid, fucking idiotic proud and stubborn idiot left on his own. Nino curses underneath his breath. “Don’t move! I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”  
  
The whole way to Sho’s apartment he keeps cursing. How could Jun do something so stupid, so reckless?  
  
Sho opens the door, a little shocked by Nino’s obvious angry expression. “But we don’t know what happened,” he says softly. “He might have gone for a walk.”  
  
“NO!” Nino yells in fury. “He didn’t. I can’t sense him in this world, which is why he is in our world. That idiot! That stupid idiot!”  
  
“Is it that dangerous?” Aiba stutters.  
  
“There is a reason he only returns home once a year. It’s the day of liberty then, and everyone can move freely. There are no imprisonments or guards except for the obvious crimes like murder and alike.” Nino ruffles his hair. “He went back on a normal day now! I swear, when I’ve found him, I’ll whip him personally and he won’t be able to move for a week! I swear, I will.”  
  
“Eh,” Aiba exchanges a glance with Sho, obviously a little confused too. “I mean, I know it’s serious and all, but may I ask you something?”  
  
“What!?” Nino grunts.  
  
Aiba throws a glance to Sho, and the latter apparently takes the task to ask whatever they obviously wanted to ask since quite a while. “I understand that you are upset,” Sho says quietly. “But why are your reactions always so intense?”  
  
“What do you mean?” Nino wants to know.  
  
“When it’s about Jun you are extremely tensed, and you have such strong reactions,” Aiba points out.  
  
“I told you,” Nino presses out. “No matter what happens between us, I can’t stop attending to Jun,” he says. By the look in Aiba’s eyes he knows he has hurt him. It’s like he just told him that he is completely unimportant, and his existence doesn’t matter anything to Nino, which is not true, really. He feels sorry for that, although other things might be more important now.  
  
“Yes,” Aiba huffs. “I know it! Because he is your personal _princess_.”  
  
“Masaki-kun,” Sho tries to soothe him. “Let’s talk about this calmly, okay, and not fight? There is no use in yelling at each other. I want to know the truth too.”  
  
“But it’s like they are a couple, Sho-chan, like Jun-kun is the most important being in Nino-kun’s word. I mean, he even calls him his princess and-“  
  
Tears skimmer in Aiba’s eyes, and Nino feels bad indeed now. It’s not their fault that Jun disappeared, in fact they were nothing but nice and kind towards them. “Because he is,” Nino interrupts him, deciding that Aiba deserves to know the truth.  
  
“What!?” Sho calls out.  
  
“Jun is a prince. I call him princess as a joke, and prince, because he is one. He belongs to the High Castle, as a royal member. I told you I have no mysterious powers, but I’m strong at mind and I can fight well. I’m a watchman and huntsman. Which means… since I’m a teenager I’m his first servant and his first bodyguard, and his only friend. That’s why we are here together. To know him safe is my duty. That’s why he is always on my mind.” Nino pauses tiredly.  
  
“But you said that the king himself keeps him low on life energy,” Sho stutters. “And that he dreads going there, because he hates that place. They sabotage him all the time. They-“  
  
“It’s not the king’s doing, but the High Castle’s.” Nino shakes his head. “The king, his father, retired a while ago and went on a journey after his wife, Jun’s mother, died. I promised him to keep his young son safe and away from all these political problems. However since he retired the country is in chaos. We have no reigning king, but three representatives now, until there will be a king. Jun is an important gadget to all three of them. They believe whoever has him at his side will be the next successor to the crown.”  
  
“Wouldn’t Jun be the next successor?” Aiba wants to know breathlessly.  
  
“No, there is a specific ranking considering the family-line. There are two before him, but both of them don’t want to take that position,” Nino continues to explain. “They are pretty young themselves and don’t feel ready to take the responsibility. But even if they weren’t Jun couldn’t become king. He is a collector. If he ruled the country, he would be way too powerful. It could be dangerous. Hence, in case all the heirs refuse the throne, there is an election – that’s the situation we are in now.”  
  
“Yes,” Sho says coldly. “And whoever has a powerful item that can fulfil other people’s wishes will easily be able to win.”  
  
“Exactly.”  
  
 “Is Ohno-san his servant too?” Sho asks. Nino is surprised, apparently his senses are always sharp and always awake.  
  
“No,” Nino says shortly. “He is a completely different issue.”  
  
“But he thinks Jun is safe at the castle?”  
  
“He is an idiot,” Nino huffs. “He was a good guy once, a kind one, as children we were all together, but he is part of this whole political chaos. He might believe that Jun is safe there, but only because he refuses to see the truth. He is just being selfish!”  
  
Aiba swallows. “So, why can’t you find him now?”  
  
“As his bodyguard I can easily sense him when we are in this world together. We formed a livelong connection and I vowed to protect him. He is not here,” Nino explains. “He is stupid and reckless for leaving just like this, and I assume he has a reason for it. Gladly he is very smart, and I believe he won’t walk around just like that, openly. He knows how to move without being seen.”  
  
Sho frowns. There is deep worry written all over his face. “Still, it’s dangerous, right?” He mumbles. “I woke up last night, shortly, because Jun kissed me. But I was still half-asleep.” He pauses, looking hurt. “He was saying good-bye secretly.”  
  
“You can join me whipping him once we find him,” Nino offers generously.  
  
“You have some weird traditions,” Aiba grumbles. “I won’t let you whip him. No way.”  
  
“Just a bit,” Nino argues. “And not with a real whip but more with a leather strap so that he won’t have bloody marks and his skin won’t break. Okay?”  
  
“NO, it’s not okay!! And I can’t believe we are discussing this,” Aiba huffs in anger, eyes furrowed. A kind soul like he is won’t ever do any harm to anyone, Nino knows that.  
  
“As much as I hate to interrupt your intermission,” Sho says bitingly. “I would like to discuss how to get him back! We can yell at him later!”  
  
Nino nods. The man is right. So, where to start looking for Jun? He frowns. What would be important enough for Jun to go to the other world. It wouldn’t be for something personal, but… Nino sighs. “A job. It’s for a job. This kind idiot.”  
  
~~~  
  
“I can’t believe someone has such a tidy workplace,” Sho breaths out in shock. “No wonder the first thing Jun did when staying overnight was cleaning up my place.”  
  
“Yes,” Nino smirks. “He hates an untidy place. Consider yourself lucky that he thinks you are hot enough to even accept your horrible sense for cleaning.”  
  
“You know, you are actually a lot more sarcastic than Jun is,” Sho argues right back. “At least his sarcastic side is cute.”  
  
Nino smiles inwardly. Sho’s a good guy. He sees Jun with so much love that even Nino has to admit that he probably is good enough for Jun.  
  
“Well,” Aiba interrupts them by tapping at Jun’s accounting book. “At least his sense for tidiness gives us an advantage. We can look up his last customer after all.”  
  
His last customer? Oh my god, yes! “Genius,” Nino calls out. “Of course. We need to see who he met last.”  
  
Aiba blushes at his praise and goes to skimming through the book immediately. “He had a customer yesterday at 7PM.”  
  
“Right before we met,” Sho muses. “That has to be the one.”  
  
“He hasn’t written a name though,” Aiba says in surprise. “Unlike all the others. But, here,” He shows them a neckless. “Apparently that’s the partial payment.”  
  
Nino does only need one glance at the time to be up his feet immediately and snatch the necklace out of Aiba’s hands. “Moon stone. That is probably going to be the payment, and oh dear…”  
  
“What!?” Sho breaths out.  
  
“It’s one of the guard’s. High Castle has a few elite guards and huntsmen. Only two of them have such a valuable necklace though,” Nino hurries to explain. Sho frowns, taking a closer look at the item, then his eyes widen in shock. Nino stares at him in surprise. “You’ve seen it before?”  
  
“I remember the sign on it. These three stars,” Sho admits quietly. “Around the same time as Jun’s customer visited him, someone came to me when I was about to leave the hospital. He wanted me to stop meeting Jun, and he wanted to tell me all kind of bad stuff about him.”  
  
“And?”  
  
“I told him to shut up, that I weren’t interested in anything they talked about Jun behind his back and that badmouthing someone is a pathetic thing to do,” Sho explains. “He was embarrassed actually. Said he doesn’t hate Jun and only follows orders. His name was Toma.”  
  
“Toma-sama?” Nino frowns. “Well, if he was with you, then the necklace can only belong to Oguri-sama. But why would an elite guard come as a customer?”  
  
“Could it be a trap?” Aiba asks.  
  
Could it? Nino frowns. Oguri and Toma are obedient to the High Castle but not bad men. They wouldn’t normally use such lousy tricks, although visiting Sho and trying to keep him from Jun by telling him bad things actually is lousy. But there should be a line for them. Well, but then, what does _normally_ mean nowadays? Considering how much Satoshi changed, it would be no surprise if Toma and Oguri did too.  
  
“Does it say what Oguri wants?” Nino asks.  
  
Aiba frowns. “Jun just painted a symbol. Looks like a star.”  
  
If Nino wouldn’t have panicked up to now, this here had to be the perfect moment to lose his nerves. “A piece of a star?” he whispers, peeking over Aiba’s shoulder. “Then it’s not a trick. Oguri would never ask for something that difficult to retrieve, something so important. Something so dangerous.”  
  
“That’s why Jun didn’t say something?” Sho mumbles. “Because the job he accepted is dangerous? He is such a kind-hearted idiot,” he grumbles. “He never sends away a customer.”  
  
“No,” Nino says quietly. “Never.”  
  
“So, how does obtaining a star work?” Aiba wants to know.  
  
“A piece of the sun or the moon or the stars is difficult to obtain, it’s nothing that gets produced every day,” Nino explains. “There are limited suppliers. On top of that the High Castle has recently put a restriction on it.”  
  
“Because you are running out of it?”  
  
Nino snorts. “Because they knew one day Jun would be in need for it.”  
  
“Can’t be,” Sho calls out. “So they speculated with something like this to happen?”  
  
“If someone is greatly unhappy or depressed, stars can help to put the light and the hope back into a person’s soul,” Nino explains. “It doesn’t get requested often. That’s why for those few requests we actually have the supplies. Naturally.”  
  
“So, what will Jun do now?” Sho wants to know. “He won’t go to the High Castle, I assume.”  
  
“No.” Nino shivers. “He will go to the last person on earth he wants to talk to, but his only hope. Someone he hopes won’t send the guards at him.”  
  
“Who?” Aiba stares at him curiously.  
  
“Satoshi,” Nino answers quietly. “It’s his last resort to obtain a piece of a star through a legal and simple way.”  
  
“Will he help him?”  
  
“No.” Nino shakes his head. “I’m sure in Satoshi’s twisted mind this is the chance he sees for Jun to actually come home. He won’t call the guards, but he will hope for Jun to go to the High Castle himself. To deal his freedom for the star.”  
  
“But this is stupid!” Aiba blurts out. “How can he!? What kind of person is he actually?”  
  
“Satoshi?” Nino snorts. “Satoshi loves Jun in his own weird and twisted way.”  
  
Aiba frowns, sending a teasing glance towards Sho. “You have a lot of competition.”  
  
Nino doesn’t react to that. They don’t need to know yet, he decides. They already know enough after all.  
  
“What will Jun do?” Sho asks all of a sudden.  
  
“I don’t know,” Nino says quietly. “I’m not sure if he will go to the High Castle or find another way. I just know I have to find him fast. We’ll go to our world, and meet Oguri-sama. I need to find out if it’s a trap or not, and what kind of deal he set with Jun.”  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
It’s a small piece, but it should be enough. Jun twists it between his fingers, his gaze shifting up to the sky nervously. He needs to get back, fast.  
  
“Hey, you!” Jun spins around in surprise when he sees some dark shadows approaching him. “A thief! We’ve found a thief!”  
  
He has the blink of a moment. They can’t get to know what he took and who he is, hence he bottles up the star swiftly and hides it in a far-away corner of his memory. He has no time to run, he can only hope that they won’t find out who he is and what he took.  
  
There is a sudden pain to his head, and the sight in front of him gets dark. For the blink of a moment he sees Sho’s face in front of him, his peaceful face. It’s a soothing memory, right before the vision in front of him gets completely dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day late with my update :-) Sorry!  
> Jun's biggest secret is finally revealed :D We now know who and what he is, and why the High Castle wants him so badly. And it seems that he really went on his own... and got himself into a tough situation.  
> As for Nino and Aiba... Nino seems to like Aiba. Do you think they face a chance?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun is in danger, while Nino and the others try to find him. It's Aiba's and Sho's first visit to Jun's and Nino's world!

When Sho thinks about Jun, his heart clenches and his stomach twists. He was surprised first when he woke up and found his bed empty, seeing Jun’s stuff gone. Actually it wouldn’t be something to be upset about, because… well… Jun has a job after all, but something inside Sho was suddenly on alert. Like his alarm bells went off. He loosely remembered their little exchange in the middle of the night and how Jun kissed him, and suddenly his heart hurt.  
  
He doesn’t know Jun for long, but it feels like he has known him forever. Somehow he got so used to him and so used to holding him in his arms that it felt weird not having him around. His kind words sometimes wrapped into piercing little comments, his warm arms, the way he could comfort Sho without words, how he was just there and understood, their little bickering and his cute flirting, his hot touches when they had sex. It was gone all of a sudden.  
  
Suddenly Sho feels lonely.  
  
~~~  
  
Sho had believed they would need a spell or enter some mysterious circle that teleports them to this mysterious world of Jun and Nino, but it’s nothing alike. “Jun and I can wander between the worlds anytime, but as you are humans we need to get through a gate,” Nino explains casually after he has dragged them to Tokyo first. “Tiny towns do not have a gate,” he continues.  
  
The gate as Nino referred it to is located in Yoyogi part. “I always thought this place is really mysterious,” Aiba states.  
  
Right after they pass Meiji shrine, Nino pulls them to the restrooms. He hands both of them a bag. “Go and change your clothes,” he tells them. “You can’t run around in jeans and alike. We need to disguise you well enough or someone might get suspicious.”  
  
“Are humans forbidden in your world?” Sho asks.  
  
“To be honest, up to now no one ever brought a human along,” Nino admits. “There is no real rule for it, but we better not take any risk.”  
  
Sho nods and hurries to one of the cabins. Nino has put a tight black trouser into the bag, so tight that Sho feels like he is putting on a second skin. Is this one of Jun’s? How does he even breathe in these? Then there is sleeveless dark-red vest with filigree golden ornaments gracing it and a long-sleeved off-white shirt with golden buttons down the sleeve. Sho isn’t quite sure how to put this stuff on, but he assumes first the shirt then the vest? The last piece is a longish frock coat with the same ornaments on the collar and sleeves. It’s more casual then the rest of the clothes and out of cord. Still Sho feels crazily overdressed. Once he steps out of the restroom he sees Masaki with a similar embarrassed and confused expression. Much to Sho’s relief he is also looking slightly overdressed, just the choice of colours resembles natural and earthen colours more. His frock coat is shorter and dark green, and his vest brown. The ornaments are thicker than the ones on Sho’s clothes and not as fragile. He looks good. If Nino was the one choosing his clothes, he really understood Aiba’s beauty well.  
  
“Not happy with the shoes,” Nino points out once he checked on them. “But I couldn’t find any fitting ones so fast.”  
  
Nino himself is clad in black, rather stretchy but tight material and laced boots. Sho assumes it’s basically his everyday clothes. Nino said he is a warrior after all, and he probably can move well in these clothes.  
  
“Let’s go to the gate,” Nino commands.  
  
The gate is not a real one as it seems. Sho was hoping for a mysterious gate appearing out of nowhere, but it’s nothing alike. They only pass a guard Nino greets casually, probably someone from his world, walk towards a forest, and suddenly it feels like light is covering them. Sho closes his eyes for a moment, when he opens them again, he is standing on a market place.  
  
“Oh my god,” he mumbles.  
  
There are quite some people looking at the stands and shopping, and Sho finally understands the clothes. Everyone looks like they do. The houses are built in baroque style, there are pillars and cupolas with rich exaggerated ornaments. When he secretly looks through a window though to eye the inside he realizes it’s not as pompous inside as he feared it would be. It seems to be darker and more narrowed inside. It’s like baroque and Victorian era had a baby – and this is it.  
  
“You can look around later,” Nino tells them. “First we need to find Jun.”  
  
“How will we find him?” Aiba asks while they follow Nino through the masses of people. The towns seem to be a lot smaller and Sho realizes that most people walk by foot, some on their horses. After a few minutes they reach a calmer area with huge houses and big gardens in front of them. It has to be the noble quarter of the town.   
  
“We’ll visit Shun-sama,” Nino explains.  
  
  
The further away from the town they get, the more uncomfortable Sho feels. Within masses of people they can easily hide but at the moment it seems like they are presented on a silver plate. Sometimes people on their horses pass them, looking at them in confusion and through questioning eyes, but Nino ignores them, not even looking at them.  
  
He only stops when they reach a beautiful villa right next to a forest.  
  
“You, what are you looking at, never seen three persons walking a path before?” Nino huffs when they pass the guards who eye them in open surprise.  
  
One of the guards blushes and shifts nervously. “But they are humans.”  
  
“Really?” Nino frowns. “And I thought they were ducks!”  
  
Sho watches in amazement. Up to now he hasn’t met anyone who could be so cheeky and sarcastic yet been taken so seriously at one time. They pass the further guards without any other complaints or inquiries, and Sho is beyond relieved. He is already so taken aback by his surroundings that he is sure he wouldn’t be able to voice even one coherent sentence. He has never felt so much out of place in his life before. He feels like everyone is looking at him, like people are actually hiding in their houses and pulling their curtains in front of their windows. He knows this is silly because they have hardly passed any inhabited areas after they left the town – Nino has brought them straight to Shun’s place.  
  
The first person they meet that is not a guard is a young beautiful woman with long black hair and almost transparent skin, dressed in a black corset and a long grey skirt. “Ninomiya-sama,” she says in surprise.  
  
“Mao-sama!” Nino answers with a half-hearted smile before he turns towards Sho and Nino. “This is Jun’s older sister.”  
  
“What?” Aiba blinks. “Really?”  
  
Sho tries to concentrate and look at Mao to see any resemblance between her and Jun. His heart clenches slightly when he thinks of Jun and about where he is and what might have happened to him. “Nice to meet you,” he finally says.  
  
Her smile is strained but she bows politely.  
  
“Mao-sama,” Nino continues. “Would have inherited the throne, but refused. She is also the main-reason why Shun-sama would probably never attack Jun.”  
  
“Is she his wife?” Sho asks, and Nino nods.  
  
Mao’s interest seems to be awakened though as she suddenly approaches them. “What’s with Jun?” she asks. “Is he alright?” She looks past them expectantly only to sigh in disappointment. “He isn’t with you?”  
  
“Why…” Aiba mumbles. “Why do you all want to meet him but no one comes to visit or tries whole-heartedly.”  
  
“Yes,” Nino agrees quietly. “That’s the question of the day.”  
  
Mao looks away, her white cheeks flushed slightly. “It’s difficult,” she says. “Everything. And I couldn’t become the next queen.”  
  
“Why not?” Nino wants to know.  
  
“I’m just not fit,” she says quietly. “You know that. It’s just more convenient for you if I would have agreed. But he fits a lot better, you know that.”  
  
Nino doesn’t answer to her words much to Sho’s surprise. Apparently she has said something that stirred something inside him. Once she told them were to find Shun and leaves them, he decides to ask. “What did she mean? I mean… who is he? Jun?”  
  
Nino shrugs, but he looks kind of sad. “We need to go and find Shun-sama,” he says instead, leaving Sho with at least one hundred questions.  
  
“He is working,” Mao tells them. “You’ll find him in his study.”  
  
~~~  
  
Just as Mao told them Shun is indeed in the study. He is black-haired guy with surprisingly calm and kind face. There is another person with him though, someone Sho knows pretty well. The weird dude who waited for Sho in front of the hospital. The day couldn’t possible become worse.  
  
“You?” Toma says in surprise. “The guy that yelled at me?”  
  
In place of Sho Nino frowns. “Well, if that isn’t the guy who dropped by to badmouth Jun-sama.”  
  
“Hey,” Toma huffs. “You have no idea what’s going on in this country since you left.”  
  
“True,” Nino admits quietly. “But this doesn’t give anyone the right to chase after Jun.”  
  
Toma sighs, and he looks weirdly tired. Sho assumes that life for him and some of the others is pretty difficult at the moment. “Is there something you need? And a reason for bringing humans along”  
  
“Yes,” Nino says and turns towards Shun. “You requested Jun’s services?”  
  
“What?” Toma laughs. “Don’t be ridiculous!” When Shun remains quiet, Toma’s laugh subsides and he is earnest all of a sudden. “Shun-kun, why? It’s against our goals to get him back to ask for his services.”  
  
“I needed it for Mao-san,” Shun explains quietly. “Jun-sama was my last resort.”  
  
Nino shoves Toma aside, ignoring his glare. “Did you ask for a piece of a star?”  
  
Shun looks at him for a long while. His eyes are tired looking and his face a bit pale. He doesn’t look like a bad guy. “Did something happen?”  
  
“So, you did ask for it?” Nino bites down on his lips. “Damn it, I hoped it would be a mistake from my side and you wanted something else.”  
  
“Why?” Toma asks all of a sudden. “Okay, a piece of a star is difficult to obtain, yes, and expensive, but-“  
  
“Oh dear,” Nino rolls his eyes. “Don’t you guys know? The High Castle cut all supplies for stars and moons and alike.”  
  
Toma frowns. “Are you serious?”  
  
“Yes, they knew that eventually someone would ask for it, and that Jun would be in need for a it then. What will he do once he needs a piece of a star?”  
  
Shun and Toma share a look of surprise, both of them looking appalled. “Damn,” Toma finally curses. “If that’s true they indeed went too far. It’s forbidden to cut down resources.”  
  
Shun nods and grasps Nino’s arm. “Ninomiya-san, Jun didn’t go to the castle. If you believe, he went to them to ask for a piece of star in exchange of his freedom, you are wrong.”  
  
“Yes,” Toma agrees hastily. “If he had returned, we would know it! Immediately!”  
  
For a while it’s silent, uncomfortably so, and something inside Sho’s stomach clenches. It hurts so much that he has to gasp for air. Nino spins around in surprise. “What is it?”  
  
“Sho-kun?” Aiba asks carefully, touching Sho’s arm. “Are you alright?”  
  
“There is something off,” Sho mumbles. “It hurts so much. I swear, I have a feeling. Jun is in danger.”  
  
“Damn it,” Toma huffs all of a sudden, making Aiba jump slightly. “If the public and the High castle find out that he is in danger or if something happens to him, it’s going to be like a civil war.”  
  
“But, why?” Aiba asks in surprise. “I don’t understand anything anymore. Didn’t everyone want to capture him in the first place? Why do they bother if he is in danger or not?”  
  
“He is still a prince, an important figure to this country.” Shun explains. “And the ordinary people like him. He has always been there for them.”  
  
Nino nods bitterly. “He never sends away a customer, remember? He doesn’t take money if his customer doesn’t have any. Sometimes he trades promises and alike. It’s his number one credo to never send an honest customer away, and it’s also the reason he even is in trouble now.”  
  
Sho and Aiba nod.  
  
“He has always helped the ordinary people. His gift isn’t the only reason the High Castle wants him to return. Just see the voting for the next king as a popularity vote. You need someone popular at your side to win.”  
  
“Seriously,” Aiba huffs. “I could throw up at all of this.”  
  
Nino blinks in surprise, then a rare warm smile curls around his lips. “Yes,” he says softly. “Me too.”  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Shun accompanies them outside. By the way his eyes are squinted and judging the obvious tension in his movements, and the way he hurries, Sho can guess he is pretty nervous and appalled.  
  
“You need to find him, Ninomiya-sama,” Shun mumbles.  
  
Nino sighs. “I know, the country will be instable otherwise.”  
  
“It’s not the only reason for me,” Shun argues. “But I’m also married to his sister, and it was my request that made him do something reckless. Also, I know he is a good guy.”  
  
“Seriously?” Nino asks bitingly sarcastic.  
  
“Yes,” Shun answers earnestly. “Seriously. He could have sent me away after all the problems we gave him, but instead he decided to help me. I’ll never forget that.”  
  
Nino bites down on his lips for a moment. Sho assumes there are a lot of things he could say now or argue, but he probably holds them back because Shun honestly voiced his sentiment.  
  
“Where did he go to?” Aiba asks all of a sudden. “Where will he be looking first?”  
  
For a moment Shun and Nino exchange an inscrutable glance. Then Nino sighs deeply. “The place I hoped I would never need to return to.”  
  
“The High Castle?” Sho asks.  
  
“No, I wished it was the castle.” Nino’s eyebrows are furrowed, his eyes looking almost pained. “We need to visit Ohno-sama.”  
  
“You think he really went to him?” Shun asks quietly.  
  
“I think that the High Castle is the last place he would go to,” Nino explains, his voice vibrating slightly. Sho is sure he is nervous. He just doesn’t know why. Because of meeting Ohno or because of where Jun could have gone to next? “So before he goes to the High Castle he would even visit Ohno. Even though he dreads visiting him.”  
  
“And then?” Shun asks, eyes shifting around nervously. “What if Ohno-sama sent him away in hopes he would go to the High Castle then?”  
  
Nino stops his movements for a moment, staring at the ground for a long while. “No.” He finally shakes his head. “I just hope he is still at Ohno-sama’s place. I don’t want to imagine anything else.  
  
  
~~~  
  
Cold water gets splashed over him, and brings him back to consciousness again. They have interrogated him for what seems like hours, and whenever he was about to just drift away, they got him back by using ice-cold water or their fists. At one point however their efforts seemed to be useless as Jun wakes up alone in a cell and assumes they weren’t able to keep him awake.  
  
His eyelids feel heavy when he wakes up. It’s like someone kicked him in his stomach several times. His body aches when he sits up, and it remembers him that they indeed did hit him several times. Around him its pitch-black, there is hardly any light coming into his cell, except from the moon far away.  
  
He blinks slightly when the door gets opened all of a sudden and the heavy-armoured guards come back inside. One of them reaches out his hands and grabs his collar. For a moment Jun thinks they are going to beat him up again, but they don’t. Instead the guy grins slyly, pulls him up his feet and drags him along. Something inside Jun’s stomach tugs, the ground beneath him shaking slightly. In fear, what they are going to do to him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino and the others visit Ohno to check if Jun asked him for advice. Ohno finally realizes something important...

_“I have never asked something from you,” Jun says quietly. “I never have.”_  
  
 _“You have refused to talk to me for years, and now you suddenly want me to help you?” Ohno can see the various expressions in Jun’s eyes, but he can’t quite read them properly, too fast are they skimming through his eyes. “I can’t help you.”_  
  
 _“Yes, you can.” Jun frowns deeply. “You can. You just don’t want to. That’s a difference.”_  
  
 _Ohno lets out a sigh. Why can’t Jun just see it, that he is doing all that for him only and for no one else? That it’s for his sake and for his best to just do as he tells him_. _“I don’t mean to always stand in your way. It’s not like I want to,” he tries to explain. “I’m just worried, Jun.”_  
  
 _Jun’s lips tug like he wants to say something but he doesn’t, and it weirdly hurts that he can’t tell him what he thinks. It’s like he has given up, like after so many years he has run out of things he could tell him. “Is this your last word?” Jun asks all of a sudden. Much to Ohno’s surprise he lacks all bitterness and sarcasm._  
  
 _“You are not surprised,” Ohno states._  
  
 _“No,” Jun says calmly. “I didn’t expect you to help me. But I thought it was worth a try.” Jun doesn’t say anything anymore, for a while he just looks at Ohno, and then up at the sky. “The moon is beautiful today,” he says all of a sudden with an expression Ohno hasn’t seen on him ever before, and something inside him clenches._  
  
 _“Yes,” Ohno stutters._  
  
 _Jun chuckles. “Bye,”  he says._  
  
 _When he leaves Ohno wants to run after him and pull him into a hug, and tell him that it’s going to be alright, that they will find a way. But it’s like he is frozen and can only watch how Jun leaves and disappears from his sight._  
  
~~~  
  
Sho has seen Ohno only this one time. It was dark back then and he couldn’t see his face and his expression, he was just focusing on Jun’s panic back then. The more he is surprised that this infamous Ohno-sama looks calm and composed, his eyes having the expression of someone who is drifting away with his thoughts quite often.  
  
“Don’t get yourself tricked,” Nino whispers quietly, like he can read his thoughts. “Don’t underestimate him just because he looks nice.”  
  
“You mean he isn’t nice?”  
  
Nino shrugs. “Maybe once he was,” he says shortly, and Sho understands that he won’t get much information about Ohno from Nino. He frowns, trying to read Ohno’s expression but he can’t.  
  
Ohno hasn’t seen them first, only when they are walking through the gate of his garden, he turns around. “I didn’t believe I would ever see you again,” he says.  
  
Nino grits his teeth so obviously that Sho fears he will just run towards Ohno and punch him. But gladly he holds it together. “It’s not like I wanted to,” Nino says coldly.  
  
“You are here because of Jun,” Ohno concludes after a while where Nino has just stared at him and Aiba and Sho have kept shifting around nervously. “But he isn’t here anymore.”  
  
“So he _was_ here!?” Nino says breathlessly.  
  
“Yes,” Ohno says with a soft nod. “Just last night. He came all of a sudden.”  
  
“And let me guess,” Nino bites out. “He wanted your help.”  
  
Ohno blinks in surprise. “Yes.”  
  
“And let me guess further,” Nino huffs. “You didn’t help him.”  
  
Ohno puts the book he was just reading aside and looks at them directly now. “I couldn’t. I know you don’t understand, but I just couldn’t. You think I want to hurt him and I want to be in his way just for the sake of being in his way, but it isn’t true. I just want him to come back.”  
  
“But he won’t,” Sho says quietly. “The more pressure you and the others, whoever they are, put on him, the less he will want to return. Even if some of you might have good intentions, he won’t be able to see them.” He pauses, remembering the tired expression on Jun’s face and how nervous he was when he talked with Ohno, how appalled and tensed. “When was the last time you actually saw him with a smile?”  
  
Ohno’s eyes widen and for a moment his eyes are all open to Sho. The others were right, he can’t see any mal intentions towards Jun here, actually it feels like Ohno does love him, though Sho still doesn't understand their relationship. Still, he doesn’t believe that what he does might have the intention make Jun unhappy. “Did you, Sakurai-san?” Ohno finally asks, and Sho is only somewhat surprised that he knows his name “See him happy? See him smile?”  
  
Sho smiles, in his mind he can see the way Jun laughed and smiled at him, how he hugged him, how tenderly he could look at him and how warmly he comforted him. “Yes,” he says. “He has a beautiful smile.”  
  
For a moment there is a weird expression on Ohno’s face, like he is in pain and feels touched at the same time. “Thanks for being there for him then,” he finally says. “I don’t know for sure, but you might find him in the castle.”  
  
“No,” Nino breaths out. “He is not there.”  
  
Ohno’s eyes snap open. “What? Where is he then?”  
  
“He isn’t here with you!” Nino yells in fury. “He isn’t at the High Castle either. So just what do you think is he doing now after you deliberately refused to help him!? Where do you think he might find a piece of a star!?”  
  
Ohno frowns before his eyes widen. “He wouldn’t.” He shakes his head. “He wouldn’t. He would never do something so dangerous!”  
  
“Wake up, Satoshi!” Nino huffs. “You were his last resort. He came here, you sent him away. But he will rather have the Dark Fortress catch him and torture him before he goes back home! Does that finally get into your thick head? That’s how much he dreads his own home!”  
  
Ohno’s eyes snap open. “No,” he calls out. “He wouldn’t go that far! Do you even know what you are saying, Kazunari? And what it means for Jun if he really is there?”  
  
“I have even more to say,” Nino points out, he sounds calmer now but not less stressed. Sho assumes he has just yelled out all his frustration and is ready to reason with Ohno again. “He hasn’t returned yet. So if we assume he went there right after he was at your place, what does that tell us?”  
  
Ohno’s breath is going heavier.  “Get your things,” he huffs. “Now!”  
  
“Eh,” Aiba blinks. “Where are we going to?”  
  
“To the Dark Fortress?” Sho asks hopefully, whatever that place means. If they aren’t going to act any time soon, he will just grab his things and run there by himself!  
  
“No,” Ohno huffs. “We are heading to the High Castle.”  
  
“Are you nuts!?” Nino grumbles.  
  
“No, I’m not! But if you thought we could just waltz into the Dark Fortress, talk to the guards and the Dark Prince and save Jun from whatever stupid thing he got himself into, you are wrong.” Ohno grabs a long coat from the bench right next to him.  
  
“And what exactly do you plan to do at the Castle?” Nino wants to know.  
  
“I will get a few things,” Ohno points out. “I have a plan.”  
  
“But-“  
  
“Kazunari,” Ohno says. “I know we don’t share much anymore, and I know that there is not much left inside of you that feels anything good for me, but now you have to trust me. Because…”  
  
“Because?” Nino wants to know.  
  
“Because Jun is the most important to me, and I’m not going to let them beat him to death just like that,” Ohno points out. “You know how important he is to me.”  
  
“Yes,” Nino says quietly, much to Sho’s surprise. “I know.” He shifts around for a while, then he nods. “Okay, we’ll follow you to the Castle. Just…” he throws him an inscrutable glance. “You can’t disappoint me in this case, Satoshi. You just can’t. I’ll kill you personally without minding the consequences if you trick me.”  
  
Ohno nods.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Something inside Nino’s stomach pulls and tugs painfully when he sees Ohno disappearing in the Castle. He has left them outside, obviously aware that none of them wants to enter, and none of them actually should enter.  
  
It’s true that he doesn’t have faith in Ohno anymore, but it’s also true that he knows that Ohno would never let someone harm Jun. Jun is probably the only person Ohno truly loves. He wouldn’t betray him, would he?  
  
“Nino-kun…” Sho exchanges a look with Aiba, and then eyes him again. Nino understands immediately.  
  
“Okay,” Nino takes a deep breath. “Remember what I told you once about our world? The parts it is separated in?”  
  
“You mean at the evening Jun ran out of energy?” Aiba asks.  
  
Nino nods.  
  
“You told us,” Sho begins carefully. “That your world is separated in three parts. The High Castle rules major parts of the country, and has the most power. They have some sort of marriage contract with…what was it?”  
  
“With the Hidden Manor.” Nino helps. “It’s a very small country at the edge of our world. Right close to the border. They aren’t quite here, but not there either. They are not warriors or alike, which means they heavily rely on the High Castle. They are allies. The Hidden Manor does have important magicians and fortune-tellers, and they have the ability to rule over time. As an exchange for their help, the High Castle protects them, because they can’t protect themselves. They are solely scientists and philosophers.”  
  
“A bit like Ohno-san?” Aiba asks.  
  
Nino is almost a bit impressed by his conclusion. “Ohno-san is not a member of the Hidden Manor. But he has a rare gift too, just like Jun. His gift is different though. He can rule over the celestial body, which is the reason Jun went to him and asked for help. And it's also the reason why Ohno studied at the Hidden Manor for years to strengthen his powers. But he still belongs into this part of the world.”  
  
Sho  nods carefully. “So, the last part is the Dark Fortress. You said they own the darkness.”  
  
“It’s a militant country. In previous centuries there was a lot of tension between them and the High Castle and the Hidden Manor. The old Dark King sent spies to the country, and an assassin almost killed our own king back then. At that point the diplomatic bonds between our country and theirs ripped apart, and since then the Dark Fortress is basically isolated from anyone else. They do own the darkness and are pretty strong. But their country is not wealthy. You cannot grow plants and food in this environment. It’s all stones and dust and darkness, like it’s suffocating you. However, the castle there and its guards are extremely rough. They do not tolerate intruders.”  
  
Sho swallows visibly. “Jun went there?”  
  
Nino looks to the ground. “Stars are the most visible in the darkness,” he says after a while. “It’s easier to obtain one there, but it also means he set foot on their forbidden grounds and intruded. And stole something that belongs to them. Let’s just hope they don’t know what he took and who he is. If they know he is a collector, they will probably either kill him immediately or use him to blackmail the High Castle.”  
  
“What will they do to him?” Aiba asks quietly.  
  
Nino doesn’t say anything. What is he supposed to tell them? That chances are high that Jun is in the hands of the Dark Prince and his guards, probably getting tortured as they want him to spill what an inhabitant of the High Castle wants from them. He feels sick all of a sudden, hoping that Jun can hold up long enough for him to be there and save him. He just can’t tell Sho and Aiba. It would be too much for them. “Let’s just hope the best,” he says warily.  
  
  
  
It takes quite some while for Ohno to return and Nino grows more and more impatient and nervous. Before his eyes he can almost see Jun in the hands of the guards of the Dark Fortress. Jun is probably keeping it a secret what he came there for, not revealing who he is, but they will try to get him spill what they want to know. And Nino fears their methods.  
  
He can see how Sho grows more nervous too, at the same time Nino is relieved that Sho doesn’t know how dangerous the Fortress really is. And Masaki… he is just glad to have him around. His presence is soothing, much to Nino’s surprise. Just having him next to him is already a relief. He reaches out his hand for a short moment, squeezing Masaki’s. The latter looks at him in surprise, before a warm and dazzling smile spreads across his lips. He is so beautiful. He deserves the best. Nino just wonders if he really is the best for Masaki.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Jun knows several techniques about how to switch off his mind and make his thoughts and his conscious wander to other places, but the pain that crosses his body now is too much to make his mind go away. There are chains wrapped around his wrist and further attached to the ceiling, keeping him in an upright position.  
  
“Why are you here?” the guard from before growls again.  
  
“I lost my way,” Jun breaths out.  
  
It’s obviously not what he wanted to hear. Jun can hear the whip cutting the air before it hits his back. He pants heavily as the pain crosses his body, so hot that he almost doesn’t feel the sting anymore. He doesn’t know how often the man hits him, he stopped to count. He can just feel the warm liquid of his blood running over his back and the pain slowly mixes up with a numb feeling of his body. Jun clutches his fingers around the chains, this time afraid to lose his conscious. What if he won’t wake up another time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I didn't post last week! I don't have any better excuse than: I was really tired from work and my last weekend was pretty busy. But today, finally, again :D  
> So, Jun indeed went to Ohno, but didn't receive help. But now that they all know Jun is not at the castle, he might help them? Or is it a trick?


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno has a plan? Aiba and Nino talk about their relationship and come to a sad conclusion.

Nothing in Ohno’s face gives them a hint about what he actually had to do in the castle, about what he _did_. His plan.  
  
“Well, he came back,” Aiba whispers quietly towards Nino when Ohno appears at the gate and talks to a few guards.  
  
Nino looks around for a short moment, before he takes Aiba’s hand and pulls him to a quiet, dark corner. Sho’s gaze follows them, but gladly he gives them the moment Nino needs. Before Aiba can ask or say anything Nino takes his face into his hands, smiling softly. “I’m sorry,” he says.  
  
“What for?” Aiba smiles. “I came here on my own. We are all friends and friends help each other, right? It’s not your fault that Jun is in danger.”  
  
“That’s not what I meant.” Nino shakes his head. “I’m talking about what I said to you when Jun disappeared and when we went to Sho-san’s apartment. I’m sure you think you aren’t important to me, am I right?”  
  
Aiba grasps his forearms with his hands and brushes over them. “You don’t need to explain anything,” he says earnestly.  
  
“I think I do,” Nino answers with insistence. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. You are wonderful and kind, and you deserve just the best, okay? What I want to say is…” He pauses and smiles. “Of course you are important to me.”  
  
Aiba’s eyes are wide-opened, his eyes shimmering slightly like he is suppressing his tears. Then he just nods, leans forward and kisses Nino. Nino leans into the kiss, giving it his all to show Aiba just how beautiful he thinks he is and how high he thinks of him, how much he actually likes him. When they draw apart there is a sad expression on Aiba’s face. “It feels like a good-bye,” he whispers.  
  
Nino removes his hands from Aiba’s cheeks and grabs his hands instead. “Because from now on I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he says quietly, his chest clenching. “I can’t promise you anything.”  
  
“But why?”  
  
“If something happens to Jun, I mean…” Nino’s voice trails off, his heart-beat rising in fear. “If he doesn’t make it through this alive, it means the person I was supposed to watch over passed away. It doesn’t matter if Jun went without telling me anything, it really doesn’t. But I am his protector. If this here goes wrong, how will I be able to continue with a normal life? And if we find Jun and he is alive, we still won’t know what’s going to happen next. There is still Ohno-san and the High Castle to consider. My fate is completely in the dark, Masaki-san. I can’t see the end of it, I can’t see where it’s leading me to.”  
  
Aiba swallows. For a moment it looks like he is going to burst in tears, but to Nino’s utter surprise he seems to hold it together and nods. He lets go of Nino’s hands all of a sudden. “I’m sorry, Nino-kun,” he says with a shaky voice. “Maybe it’s best if we take a little break from our yet-to-be-given-a-name-to-relationship. We should probably work on our issues and then see where it’s going to lead us to.”  
  
Nino looks at his friend in surprise, but he understands. If Aiba needs to be the one to put an end – even if it might only be temporary – to this here to be able to keep smiling and to keep his dignity, he should let him do it his way. “Okay,” Nino agrees sadly. “For now let’s go with your idea.”  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Ohno looks like nothing happened, like he is going on a lovely morning walk through a romantic meadow, and not climbing through a dark forest with ugly spiders and thorn hedges. “I hate vermin,” Sho whines quietly.  
  
“Every animal is precious,” Aiba recites half-heartedly. He looks a bit down, but Sho doesn’t dare to ask.  
  
“Hm,” Sho muses while he follows Ohno’s and Nino’s fast paced steps further into the dark forest. It’s like the sun and light are banned from this place, and finally it strikes Sho why Nino hoped Jun wouldn’t be there. A place like this can’t be a nice and secure place to be. They are accompanied by two guards only, much to Sho’s surprise, but apparently it was Ohno’s demand to handle it that way, and although Nino questioned it first, he gave in soon.  
  
“Are you alright?” Nino falls behind to talk to them. “You look really worried.”  
  
“Well, I am worried,” Sho points out.  
  
“Thank you.” Nino smiles. “Thank you for being worried for Jun. It means a lot to me and to Ohno-san.”  
  
“Just who is he?” Sho whispers. “And what’s his relationship to Jun? Are they ex-lovers? Or is Ohno-san in love with Jun?”  
  
Nino throws him a long glance, then he sighs. “Let’s find Jun first,” he says. “Then I’ll explain everything to you. For now just be ready in case we are drawn into battle though Ohno-san believes it won’t happen. I don’t get where he gets his confidence from.”  
  
When Nino hurries back to the front line something inside Sho’s stomach twists a bit. He isn’t sure what it is, it’s just a feeling, but it remembers him of the night Jun disappeared from him. It feels like a good-bye. He just doesn’t know if it’s a good-bye from Nino or Jun… or both, he doesn’t know what it means.  
  
For a moment it feels like the forest gets pitch-black, so dark that he can’t see anything, a few steps further however they have suddenly reached the end of it, stepping outside into a stony and dim stone desert, only a single path leads through it and up a mountain. On top of it there is a huge, not particularly inviting castle with walls so thick that Sho is sure not even a bomb could get through it. He slowly understands why it’s called the Dark Fortress. There is some light shining through a few of the tiny windows. In general everything about that building is built in a way to keep any outsider away. There is no way to enter that castle except for knocking on the door and hoping to not get killed by the person opening it.  
  
When Ohno makes the first step on the path there are suddenly a few dark shadows approaching them. Sho doesn’t see them first, their armours are as dark as their surroundings. It happens so fast that Sho can’t even begin to be afraid. The men storm towards them, but Nino and the guards act fast. Nino looks tiny and fragile, Sho thinks, but he is surprisingly flexible and strong. Well, he has to, after all he is the personal bodyguard of a prince. He assumes there was no other option for him than to become the best. He jumps around in the air, kicking one of the guys into his stomach and throwing him on the ground, while he hits the second one with his elbow. The third one gets tackled down by the guards.  
  
“Thanks for welcoming us in such a hospitable way,” Ohno says casually. He nods towards the guards, gesturing them to help the men up. “I would like to ask for an audience with your king,” he says sweetly, while Nino grabs the leader of the little group of men and drags him along up the path. “Thanks for showing us the way.”  
  
They haven’t even reached the door when the giant gate gets basically smashed open and half of an army marches outside, in front of them there is a tall, muscular guy, with black hair, and dangerously glinting eyes. “Men of the country of the light, what the hell is this ruckus about!?” he yells.  
  
“Dark Prince,” Ohno lowers his head for a tiny second but doesn’t bow. “I thought we could have a talk.”  
  
“Why?” the other man growls.  
  
“Because you are keeping something here that actually belongs to me,” Ohno answers politely.   
  
“And what do I care about that?” the prince huffs, Ohno’s calm approach seemingly unsettling him. “Just give me one damn reason to not throw you all in a cell and let you rot there.”  
  
Sho’s stomach twists again. He feels sick all of a sudden. Is Jun really at this place with these guys? Oh my god. But Ohno seems perfectly calm much to his surprise. “I believe, Dark Prince, we could talk one to one and work on an agreement.” He pauses. “Only the both of us. From king to king.”  
  
For a tiny second Nino’s jaw basically drops. He stares at Ohno in sincere shock, speechless for a moment. Sho can see how he wants to ask something but then he looks back at the guards behind them. They are obviously trying not to show any reaction. “Yes,” Nino says, his voice only quivering a little. “Our king demands to know why you are keeping one of his people captured, and at the same time will offer you something in exchange for his life.” He pauses, eyes dark all of a sudden.  
  
“In case he _is_ still alive,” Ohno says, he looks surprisingly firm and intimidating all of a sudden. “If he isn’t and you dared to kill him, be certain that we will call out to our army. The death of a prince of the High Castle means direct confrontation.”  
  
What the hell? Is he for real? Sho stares at Ohno in surprise. How can he be so confident? Did he really become king now or was it all a trick?  
  
The Dark Prince keeps staring at Ohno, eyebrows furrowed deeply. Then he turns to his guards. “Get down to the cells and stop the interrogation,” he huffs. “I’ll see what the King of the Lands of Light can offer the darkness!”  
  
The guards of the prince move to the side, and Ohno steps past them, gesturing his own guards and Nino to stay behind. Once the both men disappeared, Sho turns towards Nino. “What the hell just happened?” he demands to know. “What is all this talk about Ohno-san becoming the king? Is he for real?”  
  
Nino’s eyes are still wide-opened in astonishment. “I have no idea,” he whispers. “I have no idea what Ohno-san is planning.”  
  
  
~~~  
  
They keep waiting outside, Aiba has even sat down on one of the rocks, and with every passing second their impatience and worry grows. Ohno is away for too long already and they haven’t seen one single sign of Jun. What if it’s a trap, a freaking trap? And what the hell is Ohno plotting now? What did he mean by saying he became king? It’s true that Nino played along at that moment, but he just did it for the sake of making the Dark Prince believe them. Just… what is Ohno’s plan?  
  
Nino jumps up and walks up and down nervously. He gives them ten more minutes, if Ohno isn’t outside by then, he is going to storm the Fortress, no matter what. When the door opens slightly, Nino spins around, ready to kill anyone who is coming too close to them. He stops in his movements though.  
  
It’s the Princess, the Dark Prince’s wife. “Please come inside,” she says, surprisingly friendly. She has a pale face, no surprise as she is probably never in the sun and married to such a douchebag.  
  
“But…” Nino frowns, not sure how to continue.  
  
“I have food prepared for you. My husband and your king are still discussing.” She points at the door and for a moment Nino thinks it’s another trap. Then he lets out a sigh. Well, at least they can finally go inside. It’s better to be inside than outside in case something happens to Ohno or Jun.  
  
“Okay,” he says nervously, tapping inside.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
The ground beneath Jun’s fingers feels cold, so cold. It’s been a few hours ago when someone stormed inside and told them to stop whipping him – an order directly from the Prince. They just left, letting him lie there on the ground, and it feels cold. When he closes his eyes he see sunshine though, he sees Nino, and Ohno, and Sho, and even Aiba. He sees his little shop in Wakkanai and the hospital Sho works at, he sees Ohno’s huge garden, and his sister Mao when she married Shun. She was smiling so brightly. Jun tries hard to focus to not let his mind drift too far. He is afraid he won’t find his way back otherwise. But it’s alluring. The meadow in the sunshine in front of him with his friends waving at him is so alluring. He just wants to approach it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Nino deserves a reward for being able to keep up with Jun and also kind of with Ohno. So, Ohno thought of a trick it seems! Will it work?  
> And Nino and Aiba? Will it come to an end? Sho also seems very uncertain at the moment... doesn't he?


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What kind of plan does Ohno actually have? And who is he to Jun? We'll have a lot of answers in this chapter.

“He is not a bad man,” the Princess says quietly. “I mean, my husband, the Dark Prince. He always treats me with respect. He is just used to defend this place here to the outsiders.”  
  
“Hm,” Nino answers, trying not to be too obvious that he doesn’t know what he should say now. What is he supposed to answer her: Yeah, it’s awesomely nice that he probably beat our prince either to death or almost to death! Nino winces at his own thoughts. He wonders what he will do once they find Jun. Not even in his farthest mind he can imagine not having him around anymore. Once this is over and Jun is back, they really need to think about how this is never going to happen again.  
  
“Eat something,” the Princess says and hands him something that looks like a hot pot with potatoes, meat and vegetable. For the Dark Fortress not bad, and it’s hot. He can almost feel how his body gets warm again after even a few bits, and when he shifts his gaze to his friends, he can also see how their pale faces slowly get back some livelier colours.  
  
His stomach feels warm again, and with the warmth hope comes back. If Jun wasn’t alive anymore, they would know it. Ohno was talking since forever with the Dark Prince, all in private, and no guards left and came to the counselling room till now. There is no ruckus happening at all, another rather good sign. “What’s your name, princess?” Nino asks politely. “How may I call you?”  
  
“Nana, that’s my name.”  
  
“You should see the sun more often,” Nino points out bluntly. He has never cared much for diplomacy. Heck, she is way too pale.  
  
To his surprise she chuckles. “There is not much sun here.”  
  
Yes, Nino thinks, and the whole land is divided, so there is no chance for her to go to their part of the country and actually see some light. Pretty sad actually. He is about to say something when the door gets opened, and Ohno comes outside, fast-paced.  
  
“We can get him back,” he breaths out, turning towards the guards. “Where?”  
  
One of the guards steps forward and bows, much to Nino’s surprise. What kind of weird deal did Ohno actually make? “I’ll show you,” the guard offers politely.  
  
What the hell? Why is everyone so polite all of a sudden? Nino shoves the thought aside though in favour of finally being able to see Jun again. His top priority now is not what Ohno promised and how he promised it, but to get back his stupid best friend and prince.  
  
Nino is up his feet immediately and basically runs into the pointed direction. He can hear the others follow him. Before any of them can go through the door though, Ohno basically pushes them aside and hurries inside.  
  
When Nino steps into the room his heart stops beating for a second. Jun is lying on the ground, there are strains of blood on his back and shoulders. Sho moves into the room too, eyes widened in horror when he approaches Jun. Before anyone can do anything Ohno pulls Jun into his arms.  
  
“Why are you always going so far? And you never listen.” Ohno mumbles, eyes shimmering in tears. “Why? Just like our mother.”  
  
“Mother?” Sho’s eyes widen all of a sudden, like realisation hit him finally. “You are brothers?” he asks in disbelief. “Brothers… So, you… _are_ a successor to the throne!? Did you claim the throne for real? And…” He brushes through Jun’s hair softly. “So that’s why,” he mumbles.  
  
Nino watches them for a while, not able to move. Hell, is Jun even breathing. He approaches them, moving him slightly in Ohno’s arm and touching his neck softly. “He is still alive!” he yells, taking over the command immediately, knowing that the others were in no state of mind to decide anything. He turns to the guards. “Fast,” he huffs at them. “Take the prince! We need to go back fast.”  
  
He watches them securing Jun to a soft stretcher. Before they can get moving, he takes Jun’s hand. He bends forward nuzzling his nose into Jun’s hair. “Don’t dare to die on me, you hear me? Don’t you dare to let go.”  
  
Nino’s heart sinks when there is no reaction at all, not even a slight movement of Jun’s finger. Then however Jun’s eyelids flutters slightly. “You took long,” he mutters in his weird daze.  
  
“Sorry,” Nino says softly, feeling like he will burst in tears soon.  
  
Jun’s right index finger points at the pocket of his trouser before he passes out again. For a moment Nino doesn’t understand at all, then however realisation dawns on him. He can’t be serious!? At that moment he thinks of his job? He is about to just huff at him to shut up, no matter if Jun can hear him or not, and take a rest and not be like that anymore, but he knows this is Jun. And he wouldn’t love Jun like he does if he was any different. He takes the little item out of Jun’s pocket and hides it in his own. Jun has probably used a lot of the power of his mind to hide it. He should respect that.  
  
He steps to the side, letting Sho slip through. Sho takes Jun’s hand, eyebrows furrowed while he tries to feel Jun’s pulse. Sho places a kiss on his hand, and holds it throughout the whole way back.  
  
For a while Nino is right behind Jun, watching him all the time, then however he falls back a bit and joins Ohno. “Did you really claim the throne,” he says.  
  
Ohno nods. “There still needs to be the official crowning ceremony though. But I’m the last legitimate successor of the throne. May they like it or not, the minister just had to shut up.”  
  
“You never wanted to.”  
  
“True,” Ohno says quietly. “I’ve been running away from my responsibility. At the same time I demanded from Jun to take his. I didn’t see how much of a contradictory this actually was. I can never make amends for what I did to him and how I treated him. Or how I treated you.”  
  
“I think, in his weird twisted mind,” Nino says dryly. “Jun loves you. I don’t get why and how, but he always kept insisting that you aren’t a bad person. Delusional craziness runs in the family I guess.”  
  
“Then I should be relieved, I guess?” Ohno smiles slightly. “Today we were just lucky though. Really lucky.”  
  
“It was close,” Nino agrees. “Please let me yell at him when he wakes up!”  
  
“Like you would ever do that,” Ohno chuckles.  
  
“Would you?”  
  
“No way,” Ohno grins and for a tiny moment he looks like the old Ohno again, the one who Nino once respected so much. “You know he is my biggest weakness.”  
  
“So what did you promise the Dark Prince?” Nino asks carefully.  
  
Ohno is quiet for a while, obviously thinking deeply. “To sum it up: Diplomacy,” he answers after a while. “I gave them money. And I promised them better diplomatic relationships, and a better commercial relationship between our countries. It’s not really a sacrifice though. I always thought that it was a mistake to cut the Dark Fortress from our world.”  
  
“Keep your enemies close,” Nino muses, thinking of the Princess for a moment. She might just be able to see the light soon.  
  
“Don’t let them become too isolated,” Ohno points out. “I always thought if I was king, I would work on better diplomatic relationships between the countries. While in the shadows the Dark Fortress became even rougher and more dangerous.”  
  
“And the Dark Prince agreed?” Nino asks.  
  
Ohno grins. “Well, seems like he has a weakness too. His wife. And she seems to be pregnant. No healthy child can be born in such a surrounding.”  
  
Nino nods, then he lets out a deep sigh. “You were brave today,” he says quietly. “Really brave, Satoshi. I know you never wanted to become king and be in the spotlight like that, but today you not only saved Jun but also prevented your country from chaos. The people will immediately accept you as king. It was brave.”  
  
“It’s nothing,” Ohno answers quietly. “And it was almost too late. Nothing about it was brave, it was just in time.”  
  
“No,” Nino says softly and shows him a warm smile. Ohno returns it slightly surprised. “It was brave. I wouldn’t say if I didn’t think it was.”  
  
  
~~~  
  
Jun had various dreams, weird ones. He dreams of being captured at a dark castle, of being tied up there. His brother came to save him. Weird enough. He dreams of Sho’s arms around his body, and how he loses consciousness. Sometimes though he wakes up from this dream, and he sees Sho indeed.  
  
“Sleep,” Sho says and kisses his temples. “Sleep. It’s going to be alright.”  
  
What’s going to be alright? He doesn’t get it, but it feels nice in Sho’s arms, so he doesn’t question it and just snuggles into his embrace. He drifts into sleep again, not able though to tell what he dreams and what he really lived through. It’s weird for him not to be able to see reality.  
  
His body feels cold when he wakes up again. He shivers. This time he sees Nino. “Are you cold?” Nino asks appalled. “That’s the fever. I’m getting you a blanket.”  
  
What the hell is he talking about. “Fever?” he mumbles.  
  
“Yes, but don’t worry.” Nino puts a warm blanket over his body. “It’s getting lighter. It’s going to be alright.” He squeezes his arm.  
  
Was he supposed to worry?  
  
The third time he remembers waking up, Satoshi is there. The fourth time it’s Sho. His body feels warm. Somehow the haze in front of his eyes is less this time. He tries to push the blanket away, but Sho tugs him under the blanket again, so he gives up. “You are cute, Sho-san,” he mumbles. “I probably really love you.”  
  
He can swear he sees Sho smiling. This time he is able to remain awake for a few minutes, all the while he feels Sho brushing through his hair softly and whispering encouraging words full of affection.  
  
In his following sleep he basically dreams of nothing. It’s just dark around him, but soothing. No images that stress him and he can finally sleep in peace. He wakes up by the sound of the wind against the window and of weird chimes. His eyelids feel heavy when he opens them, but this time there is no haze in front of them anymore, no fog. His surroundings are clearer. He coughs a little, trying to sit up, but when he does so, his body is struck by pain.  
  
“Wait,” he hears a voice. “Be careful.” A hand grabs his arm and helps him into an upright position.  
  
“Satoshi-san?” Jun asks in surprise, finally able to take in his surroundings. He is in a broad, light room. The curtains move in the wind which is coming through the open window. Jun frowns slightly, trying to focus. That’s the castle! He knows this place. It’s the freaking castle, the place he avoided for years now! He is about to panic when his gaze shifts through the window right next to his bed and he sees Nino sitting somewhere in the park. Nino is here too, and looks calm. And Satoshi. And… “It wasn’t a dream,” he muses, eyes widening. “Oh my god, I didn’t dream!”  
  
“Well.” Ohno smiles softly and takes the glass with water from the table and moves it to Jun’s mouth, forcing him to take a few sips. “I’m not sure what you dreamed, but I’m afraid you indeed saw what truly happened.”  
  
“I’m here, in the Castle,” Jun stutters. “You and Nino, and Sho and Masaki, you saved me! What did you do? How? Oh my god,” He takes a deep breath. “I put you into so much danger! I’m sorry, I-“  
  
“That’s nothing you need to worry about,” Ohno shuts him up casually. “What happened happened, and everything is alright now, so no need to worry.” He pauses, shifting around nervously.  
  
“What?” Jun asks carefully.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Ohno says. “I pushed you so much that even though you came to ask me for help, I didn’t. It’s my fault that you were so afraid to going back home. My fault that you went to the Dark Fortress. I didn’t see your position because I didn’t even try to see your point. I refused to. What the candidates for the election to the throne did was wrong. You and Ninomiya were right, they wanted to use you. Can you forgive me?”  
  
“Are they still here?” Jun wants to know.  
  
“No.” Ohno shakes his head. “No one will lock you into this Castle anymore, and no one will cut your energy. I deeply apologize for not doing anything earlier. You are probably the only person in this world who I unconditionally love. I just wanted to know you safe and close to me, so that I wouldn’t need to worry. That’s why I didn’t react to the things the Castle did to you, although I promised our father to always watch out for you. How much did I ruin it for the both of us?”  
  
Jun lets out a sigh of relief. No one will hunt him anymore? It sounds almost too good to be true, but the fact that he remembers seeing Sho and Nino here when he woke up occasionally, proves to him that it might be the truth. He smiles slightly at Ohno. “What happened happened, right? Let’s just start from anew.”  
  
“I wonder if it’s that easy.” Ohno chuckles. “Kazunari said you would react like that though. He knows you a lot better than I do. I need to tell him you are awake.”  
  
“No need to hurry,” Jun tries to joke. “He is probably mad at me.”  
  
“I think he forgot to remain mad,” Ohno grins.  
  
“And Sho and Masaki?”  
  
“They had to return to their world. Sho-san was a great help though. He is a good doctor. I will try to remember that he is a good man.” Ohno smiles. “This world is not a place for Humans, it’s taking a Human’s life energy, you know that. I had to send them back for now…for them to be safe.”  
  
Jun nods. That’s true, still his stomach tugs painfully. “So…” Jun wants to know. “What happened? Why are we here? Why are the ministers and candidates to the throne away?”  
  
“Well, you went to the Dark Fortress, remember? They caught you.”  
  
“Yes, and tied me up and interrogated me, and whipped me,” Jun summarizes. “How did you safe me?”  
  
“Let’s just say I finally decided to take my rightful position and-“  
  
Jun sits up immediately, groaning in pain when he does so. “You did WHAT!?”  
  
“Well, guess I just became King. I’m sorry, I had the crowning ceremony while you were still asleep, but I wanted everything to happen as fast as possible,” Ohno explains casually. “A dream came true,” he adds sarcastically.  
  
Jun’s eyes are wide-opened in shock. “You never wanted to!”  
  
“I changed my mind,” Ohno answers simply.  
  
“You did it for me, didn’t you?” Jun sighs deeply. He feels guilty, but at the same time weirdly relieved. The times of chaos are finally over. Satoshi is going to be an unusual but good king. “Oh dear.”  
  
“You being captured and in danger was the trigger for my decision, yes, but I  should have done it a lot earlier,” Ohno explains earnestly. “I’m actually glad that this situation forced me to finally act. I put all the pressure on you and Mao, while it was actually me who was supposed to take the responsibility.” He smiles carefully. “I’m probably going to need a lot of help and guidance,” he muses.  
  
“You are going to rule this country well,” Jun says with emphasis. He really means it.  
  
“I’ve already decided on something,” Ohno says earnestly.  
  
“And what did you decide on?”  
  
His lips tug nervously. “We’ve all relied on the collectors way too much. I’ve realized that throughout the last days. It’s not only you, but also the other two. You know, one of them even lost his mind and had a nervous breakdown. He is only recovering slowly. It should have never happened like that. We used to cherish you guys, but at one point it turned into a competition, you turned into tools, and it was a really horrible thing to happen. For not preventing it from happening, I’m sorry.”  
  
“Satoshi,” Jun mumbles, not sure what to answer. What Ohno just said is true, and when Jun thinks about the past years he feels the old fear and the old tension coming back. He fights it back though. There is no place for this kind of negativity now.  
  
“So,” Ohno says earnestly. “I want to tell you: Do what you want to, little brother.”  
  
“What!?” Jun blinks.  
  
“You are a free person, just like everyone else. You can come and go as you please.” He smiles brightly. “But promise me, when I need you, you’ll be there for me. This should be your home and you shouldn’t be afraid to return.”  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
He finds Nino on the balcony of his own room, sitting on a bench out of stone and reading a book. “Romance novel?” Jun teases. “Be glad I’m the only one to know your weird addiction to those.”  
  
Nino’s eyes snap up, he eyes Jun in surprise. “Since when are you awake? And why didn’t anyone tell me? Who told you, you could get up and move around!?”  
  
“I did,” Jun says calmly.  
  
“You can’t be serious,” Nino huffs and stands up to move Jun to a huge cushioned bench. Once they settled down Jun leans against Nino, smiling when Nino wraps his arms around him. “I’m just so glad you are alright,” Nino mumbles. “Your mind was already so far gone that I was afraid that it wouldn’t return.” He smiles. “And before you annoy me with asking this stupid question: Yes, I gave Shun-sama the star. Mao is already feeling better.”  
  
“Thank you,” Jun says. “I’m sorry for doing this to you.”  
  
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” Nino scolds, slight anger in his voice. “I mean, did you really believe I would call the guards?”  
  
“Not at all.” Jun smiles. “I was worried when I told you about it, you would accompany me.”  
  
“I’m your bodyguard,” Nino huffs. “Please stop thinking about my safety!”  
  
“Thank you for forgiving me,” Jun chirps, grinning when Nino looks annoyed and amused at the same time. Then Nino bursts into giggles too.   
  
“You are so stupid,” Nino smiles.  
  
For a while they just keep sitting next to each other. “It’s beautiful here,” Nino says after a while. “I’ve almost forgotten how beautiful it is.”  
  
“I’ve thought a lot,” Jun says.  
  
Nino eyes him curiously. “What did you think about?”  
  
“It’s true that the situation between me and the High Castle escalated, but to be honest, I haven’t done much to prevent it from escalating.”  
  
“Jun,” Nino says earnestly. “This is not your fault. On the contrary. They were horrible. Did you hear about Jinko-san losing his mind?”  
  
“Yes,” Jun nods. “I just wonder if I had tried to talk to Satoshi before, really talk to him, maybe I could have prevented some things from happening.”  
  
“Well,” Nino frowns. “I wonder if it’s that easy.”  
  
“Satoshi made a deal, and it’s my fault,” Jun intervenes earnestly. “He also became King to save me. It’s true that during the last years I feared him, but in one day he did all this, only for me.”  
  
“Yes, he is an idiot,” Nino snorts. “But he loves you, in his weird idiotic way. You don’t need to feel guilty about him,” he adds dryly.  
  
Jun chuckles. “Will you go back to visit the human world?” he asks.  
  
Nino is silent for a long while, then he bites his lips. “He is a good guy, he deserves a good guy,” he finally mumbles and Jun knows exactly who he is talking about.  
  
“What makes you think you aren’t a good guy?”  
  
Nino’s smile is tensed. “We both know that as a warrior and watchman I’ll never be a good catch to anyone, except maybe for you, because you are just as freaking difficult to be with. A good catch… It’s not what I am.”  
  
“If I have learned one thing then what you are doesn’t define who you are,” Jun points out.  
  
“That’s true,” Nino smiles warmly. “But this world here is dragging energy from Humans, you know that. And Masaki has his own life in his own world, his future. He has a bright future in front of him.” He pauses. “Jun,” he says earnestly. “Being with me will only make him unhappy. It’s going to destroy him – mentally and physically, we both know that, we both know it’s true. Sometimes loving someone means to let go.” He looks at Jun thoughtfully. “This goes for me. You have your own decisions to make.”  
  
“Yes,” Jun answers earnestly. He has been thinking a lot while he recovered. He has thought about his options over and over again. “I’ve not made up my mind yet.”  
  
“I’m sure you’ll make the right decision,” Nino says softly. “Except for heading to the Fortress alone, I trust your judgement. I’ll come with you wherever you want to go. Just tell me what you decide, and don’t dare to leave me behind!”  
  
Jun nods. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jun is safe :D Finally! And we know who Ohno is :-) Plus, he indeed claimed the throne ^^ So, it was not a trick he used, it was actually the truth he told the Dark Prince.  
> On the other hand Aiba and Nino seem to be over. And Jun and Sho?


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter. Jun has to make a decision...

_Jun’s hand feels tiny in Satoshi’s. He is seven years younger than Satoshi is, and to Satoshi he feels so tiny. “His feet are so small,” Satoshi states in awe while he tickles Jun’s soles._  
  
_His mother laughs. “He is a baby, Satoshi. He will grow bigger.”_  
  
_“He will always be my baby brother,” Satoshi states earnestly. “And Mao-chan will always remain my baby sister.”_  
  
_His mother chuckles. “Well then, you will always have to protect them.”_  
  
_Satoshi frowns deeply. “Can I do it?”_  
  
_His mother smiles proudly. “You are our firstborn, and one day you might inherit the throne. You have many qualities, Satoshi, you have a unique and strong power.”_  
  
_“It’s scary,” Satoshi states. “Sometimes I can’t control it and then it feels like the whole sky is yelling at me.”_  
  
_“You will learn to control it,” his mother says. “You have no other choice. But I know you will manage it well.”_  
  
_“And when I can control it, I can always protect them, right?”_  
  
_“Right.”_  
  
  
Satoshi puts white jasmine on his mother’s grave. “I wonder if this is what you had in mind for us,” he muses. “Mao married a good man, but becoming a mother is so difficult for her. And although her health suffers she refuses to give up. And Jun tries to save the whole world with his own abilities, all alone He is strong and his power is strong, but it’s only the power of a single person.”  
  
“Please don’t get cheesy now,” Jun’s voice comes from behind him. “I’m not going to die just like that.”  
  
“You almost did die though,” Satoshi points out, watching how Jun puts yellow roses on the grave. “Yellow roses?” he asks in surprise.  
  
Jun smiles. “Mother loved jasmine. But when she married our father she wished for yellow roses. She said yellow roses remind her of hope and of the bright future ahead of her.”  
  
“Really?” Satoshi asks in surprise. “I didn’t know that.”  
  
“She told me when she was teaching me how to use my powers. She was such a good person, and so strong, I still need to learn a lot to be able to be as good as a collector than she is.”  
  
“I wished you wouldn’t try to follow her footsteps,” Satoshi states quietly, nervous about how Jun might react to his words. Their mother was a wonderful woman with a strong and unique power, but in the end her body gave in to her powers and she passed away.  
  
Jun smiles much to Satoshi’s surprise. “I know, you think that being a collector is what killed her, but it’s not her power that is responsible for her death. It’s been her weak health.”  
  
“Hadn’t she worked that much and pushed herself all the time, her health might have been stronger,” Satoshi states bluntly.  
  
“No.” Jun shakes his head. “I know you won’t believe me, but being a collector works mainly over the strength of our mind, not the body. Without being a collector she might have died even earlier. You cannot hate mine and her power and blame it for her death. Preventing me from using it and trying to stop me from developing it, won’t make me healthier or safer.”  
  
Satoshi eyes his brother in surprise. He wasn’t aware of how well Jun knows and understands his motives. “How did you know?”  
  
“That you were trying to prevent me from using my powers for me to be safe?” Jun snorts. “You are easy to look through. As open as a book.”  
  
“That’s true,” Mao states from behind of them before placing red weigela on their mother’s grave. When Satoshi blinks at her, Mao chuckles. “She always told me that I remind her of this flower and that it’s why she loves it so much.”  She gets up and clings to Jun’s arm, while eyeing Satoshi. “Old man,” she teases. “You should stop to prevent us from growing. It’s not going to help us or the country or yourself.”  
  
“True,” Jun agrees.  
  
Satoshi lets out a sigh. “Just like when we were kids… you always ganged up with each other against me.”  
  
Jun and Mao chuckle. “Because you would always fuss over us.” They all laugh lightly.  
  
Mao takes a deep breath after a while. “I’m going to try to get pregnant again.”  
  
Satoshi knew she would say something like that at one point, still it sends little spikes of worry through his body. “Mao-chan…”  
  
“I know, what you want to say,” she says calmly. “That I almost didn’t make it through my first pregnancy. That my health is as weak as my mother’s. But becoming a mother is my biggest wish. And I can only grow as a healer when I have a child myself, we all know that.”  
  
“What does Shun say about it?” Jun wants to know.  
  
“He knows what I need,” Mao points out. “He knows that not making me a mother won’t save my life.”  
  
Satoshi lets out a sigh. “You two always do whatever you want.”  
  
“Well, for starters you could have more faith in us,” Jun points out mercilessly before turning to Mao. “It’s against the rules to use my powers to help you get pregnant, but I can use them for issues surrounding your pregnancy. So tell me when you need something.”  
  
“Are you staying?” Mao asks.  
  
“I’m not sure yet what I’m going to do,” Jun points out. “But whether I’ll be here or in the Human world, you know how to contact me. I’m not on the run anymore.”  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Aiba helps Sho with grocery shopping, Sho knows it’s probably because he doesn’t want to be alone, and to be honest, Sho is thankful not to be alone either.  
  
“I know it’s right,” Aiba states after a while. “But why doesn’t it feel right?”  
  
“You mean… your break-up with Nino-kun?” Sho asks, mentioning it mainly because he knows Aiba wants to talk about it.  
  
“I did know from the beginning on that we won’t have a future,” Aiba states quietly. “But I really liked him. And I miss him.”  
  
“I know,” Sho answers more to himself than to Aiba.  
  
“Have you heard anything from Jun?” Aiba asks carefully.  
  
Sho shakes his head.  
  
“I hope he is alright,” Aiba muses.  
  
Sho nods, his mind clouded with worries. He knows Nino wouldn’t have let him go if Jun was still in danger. He ensured him he would be safe now, but Sho needs to see his face and see it with his own eyes to believe it. He is ready for Jun to leave him or to break up with him, but he needs to know he is safe. He just needs to be certain.  
  
  
  
  
  
There are tears dropping into his soup while he puts onions inside. Sho feels so incredibly sad that he doesn’t even know what to do with all these emotions. How long didn’t he see Jun anymore? He has only known him for a few months, but he grew so close to him that it feels so painful not to have him around anymore.   
  
“You really suck at cooking, you know that?”  
  
Sho spins around, eyes widened in shock. “It’s the onions,” Sho stutters. “The onions, I’m not crying.” His hands shiver when he puts his knife to the side and dries his hands against his trousers. “Jun…” he mumbles. “You are here.”  
  
Jun walks towards him slowly, like he is scared about Sho’s reaction. Sho however just chuckles, hugs him close and presses his lips against Jun’s cheek, and nose, and the other cheek before moving to Jun’s beautiful plump lips. For a while none of them says something, they just kiss, and to Sho it feels like he is feeling Jun’s soft lips for the first time, getting to know their texture again.  
  
He draws back slightly. “Help me with cooking?” he asks. He knows Jun probably has to tell him something important, and he already has a feeling what it’s going to be, hence he wants to delay their talk for a bit.  
  
Jun seems to feel the same because he nods. They make dinner together, Jun prepares his infamous pasta and sends Sho to set the table and do work that’s not too important so that he can’t ruin his precious food. Sometimes Sho hugs him from behind and kisses his beautifully exposed neck. It’s almost like he never left.  
  
Once they ate, Sho takes his hand. “I want to feel you against my body,” he says earnestly. “I want to feel you, Jun.”  
  
“Sho…” Jun says nervously.  
  
“I know, but still, I want to hold you in my arms.”  
  
Jun  nods, but his eyes are shimmering sadly. This is probably going to hurt the both of them, but Sho doesn’t mind. He needs to have this moment together with Jun. He just needs it, and from Jun’s touches getting bolder he figures Jun needs it too.  
  
He tries to memorize it all, the feeling of Jun’s soft skin under his fingers, the way his muscles flex when he touches them, the sound of his moans and sighs, and the way he whispers Sho’s name. He doesn’t want to forget any of it. Their lovemaking is particularly soft and slow, both of them cherishing every minute of it.  
  
After Jun comes down from his first orgasm, he lies on his stomach and Sho traces the scars on his back. “They have not faded completely,” he muses.  
  
Jun smiles slightly. “Maybe they never will,” he admits. “Over time they might. I have to learn to live with them and with the memory of how I got them.”  
  
Sho places a kiss against Jun’s shoulder blade, and Jun turns around, wrapping his arms around Sho, and pulling him closer. His eyes are gleaming passionately, and Sho smiles, ready to give Jun all he has.  
  
They manage to make love to each other four times, until both of them are too exhausted to even kiss each other. Jun falls asleep in Sho’s arms. His hair tickles Sho’s nose slightly, but he doesn’t let go, instead he rests his chin against Jun’s head and remains in this position until he falls asleep too.  
  
  
~~~  
  
Sho has expected that the dream would be over once the next morning approaches, but he hasn’t expected it to hit him so hard. Reality is a real bitch, he thinks. They have breakfast together, and Jun does the dishes afterwards, although Sho tells him not to. He probably doesn’t want to let go yet. But once everything is done there is nothing they can use as an excuse to avoid the inevitable anymore.  
  
Jun smiles sadly and wraps his arms around him. “You saved me,” he mumbles into Sho’s hair. “You saved me. For that I’m going to be always thankful. I’ll never forget what you did for me and your kindness.”  
  
Sho looks up, grabbing Jun’s face with his fingers and brushing over his cheeks with his thumbs. Jun looks sad and tired. “You are not staying, am I right?”  
  
Jun looks crushed all of a sudden. “I love you,” he says. “I really do. Horrible things have been happening and you were there for me when I was the most desperate. But I have been running away from my responsibilities too. I need to go home.”  
  
“Yes,” Sho says quietly.  
  
“You are not surprised?”  
  
“No.” Sho shakes his head. “I knew you would decide like that. After everything that happened. I knew you wouldn’t run again from it.”  
  
Jun moves his hands up and touches Sho’s face softly. “I’ll always be there if you need me. You can always come to me. You know how to reach me now.”  
  
Sho grabs his hands, squeezing them. Not sure what to say as the sight in front of him gets blurred. He hugs Jun tightly.  
  
“A human belongs to this world,” Jun mumbles sadly. It feels like he is crying, but Sho doesn’t dare to look up. “Nino is right. We drag your energy from you by staying. We are here for your dreams and wishes, but when we love you, we will destroy you. I want you to be happy.”  
  
  
~~~  
  
_“Are you sure?” Nino asks._  
  
_“No,” Jun answers sadly. “But Sho-san wouldn’t accept a selfish decision from me. That’s how he is.” He pauses. “I’m not sure, but I know it’s right.”_  
  
_Nino squeezes his hand. He looks relieved, and this moment is enough for Jun to know he did the right thing. Everything else would have been selfish. Sho might have accepted it at the moment, but one day he would have hated him for it. And Nino too. With this decision he will influence several people, dragged them into his own problems. It’s just not right. He cannot destroy so many people’s life. Beside that he can’t leave his family alone once more. Mao will need him, Satoshi will too. He knows none of them will hold him back, but he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if they suffered because of a selfish decision he made._  
  
  
_~~~_  
  
  
Ohno looks up when Jun approaches him. He is in the private saloon of the castle, looking more than a little surprised when Jun suddenly appears in front of him. “What are you doing here?” he asks in mere astonishment.  
  
“What do you mean, Satoshi!?” Jun huffs. “Is this how you greet your cute little brother?”  
  
“Did you just call yourself cute?” Ohno asks in confusion, he exchanges a glance with Shun and Toma, his main guards.  
  
“Satoshi, this is not the time to argue,” Jun says earnestly and snatches the soft bread with butter from him. “Also you should watch your cholesterol. You need to remain king for a long time!” He points at the other two men. “You two are responsible for his health from now on! I gave orders to the kitchen, but I can’t watch his everyday meal!”  
  
Ohno keeps staring at him. “I’m arguing?” he asks carefully.  
  
“I’ve heard you are facing problems with the village at the borders. They are lacking harvest, and need some hope.” Jun frowns.  
  
“But, I told you, we are not going to use the collectors anymore,” Ohno says quietly.  
  
“No one is using me,” Jun points out. “This is my job and my purpose. And I have Nino to watch me. In case I go too far again, he will be there to keep me in reality.” He pauses. “Also you need someone with charm, beauty and influence to go to the Dark Fortress regularly. I hope you didn’t think you were suited for that job?”  
  
His last sentence draws the first grin from Shun and Toma.  
  
“Wait… what!?” Satoshi breaths out.  
  
“I’m very eagerly going to shove it into that idiotic Prince’s face that I’m the person he needs to rely on from now on, if he wants even one percent of his hopes come true,” Jun sneers. “I’ve already talked to the Princess several times, she is very much on my side. After all she wants her baby to grow up in light. I’ll have fun with it. And Nino too.” He pauses. “Or don’t you need us?”  
  
“Of course I do,” Ohno mumbles.  
  
“Just so you know,” Jun continues. “I’m officially offering my service, after all as a collector I’m always a counsellor to the king.” He frowns “However, I’m in no way going to call you king or your majesty and if you think I’ll follow any weird protocol, you are wrong. I’m just going to be me, and you know how fucking difficult I can be. So actually this is your problem from now on. And when the normal people need something, I’ll go even if there is a super-duper important state meeting with the Hidden Manor and those bastards from the Dark Fortress.”  
  
Ohno’s eyes widen, then he turns to Shun and Toma to send them away for a while. Once they are alone, it’s silent around them. Jun shows Ohno a short careful smile before he turns around. “Jun,” Ohno says softly as he stands up and puts a hand on his shoulder.  
  
“Don’t say anything,” Jun answers quietly. “Please. I’m scared that if you say something now and try to stop me from doing this, I might make a rash decision and run. And I don’t want to do that anymore.”  
  
Ohno nods, his lips quivering. “Thank you, little brother,” he says quietly.  
  
Jun smiles in relief. When he turns around, he could swear there are tears shimmering in Ohno’s eyes.   
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Sho and Aiba meet for a picnic, both of them chewing on the sandwiches Masaki prepared and the maki Sho made. Aiba doesn’t even complain about their bad taste. As for Sho he isn’t quite able to taste anything at all. Having Jun around made his world more colourful - more difficult and dangerous, but also more colourful. Now that he is gone, and it’s all back to just his work, he realizes how grey it was before.  
  
“I know that we don’t have a future with them,” Aiba says all of a sudden. “I know it. Even when I started this thing with Nino-kun, he told me that we probably won’t have a future.”  
  
Sho nods. He would have done the same. If he was in Jun’s place, he would have left him too. He knows Jun can’t drag anyone else into his mess anymore. Life is not easy, and decisions aren’t easy either. Jun let go because he had to. They obviously don’t have a future.  
  
Still… He looks up at the sky, wondering if he and Jun are looking at the same sky at the moment, or if Jun is at a completely different place right now. When he turns his attention back to Aiba, the latter points at the basket.  
  
“Was this letter always here?” Aiba asks in surprise.  
  
Sho blinks in confusion, following Aiba’ finger that points at a thin envelop that lies on top of the picnic basket. With a swift movement Sho jumps up, his eyes scanning his surroundings frantically. He and Aiba were lost in their thoughts and obviously didn’t see or hear anything. Sho frowns when he eyes the forest, it feels like there is a shadow disappearing in there.  
  
“Forget it,” Aiba huffs. “Whoever it was. Forget it. Open the envelope. It’s addressed to you.”  
  
Sho nods, sitting down again and grabbing the envelope, opening it with deft fingers. There is a short letter inside it.  
  
_To Sakurai Sho-san_  
  
“Addressed to me,” Sho blinks. The handwriting is beautiful, almost like it’s been painted. “I’m going to read it out loud.”  
  
_Throughout the unfortunate events of the last weeks our utmost and most important codex was broken, namely that no human trespassers are allowed into our world. As things happened as they unfortunately did, two humans – namely you and your friend – passed our borders and saw our world. We are bound to confidentiality and keeping our borders and our world safe and in secret._  
  
_As the king I have no other choice than to react to the breach of our confidentiality rule._  
  
_Since we are deeply in your debt for saving our prince, the only option I can offer you – aside from removing your memory or killing you – is to be at our service when needed._  
  
“What?” Aiba blinks. “What kind of service?”  
  
_We are currently strengthening our bonds with our neighbouring countries, and occasionally we’ll need contacts and information from the human word. Since our prince is not living in the human world anymore we lack exactly that._  
  
_As an exchange for sparing your life for trespassing, you will offer us your services as a doctor and as a contact person with the knowledge about the humans and their world, as it might be inevitable for us occasionally to enter your world._  
  
_Establishing his new position as a diplomat my brother, the prince, will be ordered by me to contact you when needed. Until then, stay safe and healthy._  
  
_Ohno Satoshi._  
  
Sho stares at the letter for a long while, his heart skipping a few beats. Does this mean…  
  
“There is something else,” Aiba says breathlessly and points at a little extra note sticking to the letter.  
  
Sho takes it carefully, reading it hopefully. _Dear Sho-san, I cannot ask from my brother to sacrifice everything he loves. He made his decision for my sake, so I’m going to make a decision for his sake too. This is all I can offer you in a legal way. How you use it, is your choice. It might not be ‘forever’ and maybe you still don’t have a future together, but at least you will have a say in this too. What you make out of your now new and open possibilities is entirely up to you. The only thing I’ll ask of you is to always treat my brother kindly._  
  
“He opened a door for us,” Sho says quietly. “He just… opened a door for us to go to their world whenever we want to.”  
  
Aiba blinks, before he chuckles. “Yes, after all Ohno-san loves his brother the most,” he recites. He eyes Sho curiously. “So, what exactly does this mean for you?”  
  
Sho smiles, careful optimism filling his heart. He might just see Jun again. “I don’t know yet.” He smiles brightly. “But I’ll figure it out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, the ending! To be honest, I originally planned on breaking Sakumoto up completely, but then I kind of didn't have the hear to do so. I wanted them to have a chance. Ohno provided Sho with an opportunity to work together with Jun. So, they can meet again. I'm normally never writing rather open endings, but I don't know... here it seemed kind of fitting for me. Jun couldn't possibly go back to Sho's world, because his whole family and Nino would be affected by it. And Sho couldn't entirely move to Jun's world either, besides he and Aiba have jobs and family and a life too. But now they have the chance to at least work something out :-)
> 
> Thanks everyone who kept reading this until its end. I hope you enjoyed the ride ♥

**Author's Note:**

> So this is it, the first chapter, more like a prologue actually.  
> *shiversinanticipation* So what do you think? This story is kind of like my baby. I put a lot of energy into it, and I'm kind of proud of it myself. I haven't written that genre since a long time, although it somehow used to be my strength. (but fantasy setting can be pretty draining too ^^) And... I'm so curious what you think! If you stumble over this fic and happen to read it, please tell me your feels.
> 
> Chapter 1 hasn't a lot going on. It's only the start. This here is also about decisions that lead us to a certain path, and even when we want to, we can't just take these decisions back. By now we have Jun, and we don't know yet, what or who he is. And Nino, as Jun's...? Aiba will make his appearance in chapter 2, and Ohno will appear a bit later.


End file.
